Forgotten Legend
by SilverDrops-6593
Summary: As they participated in the burial ceremony, Kagome replayed the last words Hitomiko told her, over and over again. "Your name, your powers... You're a true mystery. You're a true star miko."
1. I Fever

**So here we go again, another try with fanfictions. This story is not finished yet, so sometime in the middle of the story I might take a bit longer to upload new chapters. I'll try to avoid that, but I can't promise anything. Sorry. :c**

**Caution! This story is an alternative version of Inuyasha Kanketsu-hen, and contains major spoilers!**

**Legends**

**(...) – Author notes or comments**

_**Text in italic**_** – song lyrics (centered) and flashbacks (will be marked)**

**Please, gimme opinions. ^^**

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**Chapter I – Fever**

As the rain poured down on their shoulders, the group of travelers kept their journey in a mournful silence. Inuyasha led the way with dropped shoulders and a lowered gaze. His bangs hid the sadness in his eyes.

After him, Kagome followed just a step ahead from the others, her head half down, since she worriedly and hurtfully watched her companion walking with great guilty aura hovering around him.

The weather matched their distress perfectly. Heavy, rainy, sad and dark.

"Kagome?"

The silence was broken by the little kistune, sitting on Kirara's back, who had been following her master in the narrow trail.

"Yes, Shippou-chan?" Kagome stopped walking and looked back at the redheaded boy. She noticed he was very tired. Last night hadn't been easy on him. It hadn't been easy on any of them, especially Inuyasha.

"I'm tired. Can we stop for a while?"

Miroku and Sango looked from the young fox demon to the untrained priestess. They were also tired. Sighing, she turned towards the half demon.

"Inuyasha?" She whispered, afraid of distressing him more.

"We..." He started, his voice hoarse with guilt. "...can rest near the river. It's not far."

Kagome looked at the ground, not knowing what to do. There was nothing she could do. But she wished she could. Badly. It was too hard seeing him like this. It was hurting her too.

Although her feet were hurting with exhaustion, she didn't want to stop walking. If she kept walking, her mind wouldn't dive in the memories of last night. The guilt and sadness almost crushed her heart.

It was all her fault. If she hadn't lost too much time dealing with her own heart's illusions... if she had been just a bit stronger and faster, she'd be able to reach Kikyou in time, and the priestess wouldn't have... wouldn't have...

"We'll continue in one hour." Inuyasha said as he left for the tree tops, leaving the group near the river.

They settled down to rest under the trees. Each one got near a tree to avoid the rain. Shippou curled himself in Kagome's arms and soon fell asleep, too exhausted to mind the weather and local they were. No words were shared between them. They only looked at the wet patch of grass separating them while waiting for their bodies to recover enough energy to reach the next village, where they could rest for an entire, deserved, full night.

/\\\\\

Shippou was the first to wake up. Groggily, he looked around trying to recognize his surroundings.

They were in a hut, that's for sure. By the expensive looking paintings on the wall, futon and folding screen separating the room, they were most likely in some sort of very expensive inn. Miroku's work, probably. No, absolutely Miroku's work.

The sun had still to come out of its hideout beyond the hills, but it cast enough light for a human to see. As a demon, Shippou could see even better.

The small kitsune could hear the light snores of the group. He knew Miroku and Inuyasha were on the other side of the folding screen, Inuyasha awake, but silent enough to pass by sleeping. Not for the kitsune, but he decided to ignore that for the time being. The hanyou was too absorbed in his own thoughts anyway.

But there was one thing that Shippou couldn't ignore. The heat he was feeling and making him get all sweaty.

_'Why is it so hot here?'_ He wondered.

He saw himself in the arms of his adopted mother, the time-traveler untrained priestess Kagome. She slept half peacefully under the futon. A frown of discomfort could be seen in her features. Her breathing was a bit off of rhythm because of the heat.

That's when the fox demon noticed something was wrong. Kagome felt like she was burning up!

"Kagome!" He cried out, awakening the others with a jolt. "Kagome, wake up!"

The young fox demon jumped out of Kagome's arms as the others looked around in confusion. Kagome too woke up, confused with all the fussing.

"Shippou-chan, what is it with all the-...?"

"Kagome, you're burning up!" The kitsune cried out in panic.

The young girl looked confused at the kitsune, not aware of the others approaching her to see what was wrong. Sango pushed herself up with her elbows and stretched a hand to check her friend's temperature.

"You really got a fever, Kagome-chan. But it's not that bad."

"Keh! Useless kitsune..." Inuyasha mumbled, turning back to his corner.

"You better rest a little longer and eat something later, Kagome-sama. It will get rid of the cold before you catch it." Miroku advised as he laid down to rest for one hour or two till the sun came out.

"I'll do it." The priestess looked down at the kitsune, who was watching her weirdly. "What?"

"You're not even feeling uncomfortable?"

"No, why?"

"You're still under the covers, even with a fever."

"You feel colder when you get a fever, Shippou-chan. It'll soon go away. You better rest a little more. We have a big day ahead." She gently said, laying down to rest.

But Shippou wasn't so sure. He knew that fever wasn't just a cold. Something was wrong with Kagome. He knew it. And he knew she was aware of that too.

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**A bit short for the first chapter I admit. =/**

**...**

**But I promise a longer (and better) one next time. XD**

**Reviews, I beg you. DX**


	2. II   Break Out

**Here ya go. Chapter II of Forgotten Legend.**

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**Chapter II – Break Out**

The following days had been strangely quiet. The group hadn't had much talk among themselves. Even Miroku wasn't trying that hard to grope Sango. Kirara and Shippou ceased their games during the trip. The little kitsune kept himself busy analyzing Kagome's and Inuyasha's behavior. The hanyou was usually in the front of the group, leading them mutely, and the miko would follow him a few steps back, deep in thoughts.

_'Something is really wrong with Kagome.' _Shippou thought, wondering if it was because of that fever. Was it really gone? Was she truly feeling well?

The boy soon got his answer. As the days passed by, Kagome slowed her pace. Before long, she was dragging her legs behind the group, trying to hide her tired panting. For being deep in thoughts and memories, Inuyasha hadn't noticed the strange behavior of his female human companion.

It had been like this for the following nine days, when...

"Can... can we rest for a while?" The young miko asked almost out of breath as she stopped in the middle of the road, her legs trembling with exhaustion.

"What? But we just started!" Inuyasha argued, and it was true. They had been walking for three hours after lunch, when they usually covered the entire afternoon walking. For their standards, three hours was little.

"I know... but..." Kagome looked up and tried to reason with the hanyou.

"Come on, Inuyasha. We all could use some rest." Sango said.

"You might be tired yourself, Inuyasha. You could use a little break too." Miroku added.

"Keh. Humans..."

Kagome sighed in relief. It seemed things were slightly turning back to normal.

"Huh? What is that?" She raised her head towards the direction they were heading.

"A village?" Sango suggested.

She guessed right. It was indeed a village, but a different one. All of its surroundings were covered in pink flowers, pouring the little town with its sweet soothing scent.

"It smells good." Kagome smiled in peace.

"It's so soothing." Sango agreed.

"Soothing? It's getting me sick." Inuyasha mumbled, covering his nose.

*AH-CHOO*

"Huh? What's wrong, Shippou?" Miroku asked.

"I... I..." *AH-CHOO* "I can't stop sneezing..." *AH-CHOO*

"Mew..." *CHOO* *CHOO*

"Kirara too?" Sango looked down at her pet demon, confused.

"Excuse me... Are you travelers?"

They turned to see a couple approaching them, gently welcoming smiles on their faces.

/\\\\\

"This house was build especially for travelers. You can stay here for as long as you need." The old man said kindly.

"Feel at home and enjoy your stay." The woman added as she and her husband left.

"Really kind villagers, don't you think Sango? Sango?" Miroku looked at the demon slayer in confusion. She was staring at the hut behind her.

"Kagome-chan? What's wrong? You're going to sleep earlier?"

The miko turned and smiled tiredly.

"Yeah, I think I am. I'm really tired today."

Inuyasha, inside the hut and sitting in a corner, watched as Kagome prepared a futon for herself, and curled inside it to rest. He now noticed something was disturbing Kagome's behavior. Even exhausted, she would stay awake with the others for a while instead of calling it a day that fast. She must be really tired... but how? Today wasn't that tiresome.

_'Maybe she just needs a night inside. She rests better indoors rather than under an open sky.'_

As Inuyasha looked at an empty spot of the room, he just wished that tonight they all could rest in peace.

/\\\\\

Inuyasha glared at the flower prince yokai as the pain was starting to blur his sight. He could almost feel, painfully feel, the vines touching the insides of his ribcage, stroking his very heart and lungs. The pain soon would be unbearable. But before Kaou could pull out the hanyou's heart - or pierce it, whatever he wanted to do -, a sacred arrow pierced his 'back', disintegrating the vines that composed his body.

_'That arrow...' _Inuyasha looked back at the arrow piercing the wall behind him. It had a blue rosary knotted around it... Miroku's protection beads... _'Damn it!" Kagome!'_

He ran through the corridors at full speed, worried to death about the possibilities of what that damn bastard could do if he found out about Kagome's pains. As he exited the mansion, he growled at what he saw.

Kaou stood there with a satisfied grin, staring at a pillar of vines and blood red flowers. Stuck among the vines and flowers, Kagome struggled to free herself before her own sorrows could be used as fertilizer. But the magic was starting to dominate her, and her struggles were getting weaker and weaker.

"LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU SICK BASTARD! IT'S ME WHO YOU WANT!"

"That's where you're wrong, hanyou." Kaou smirked. "I haven't noticed before, but this girl's sorrow is the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. It will be the greatest fertilizer for my beautiful flowers. Her sadness is even greater than yours."

"Inu... Yasha..." Kagome's weak pleas got both demons' attention. "Please... get me... outta... here..." She winced. "It... hurts... so much..."

Kaou smirked as the miko clenched her teeth and her muscles contracted in pain. Inuyasha growled, his eyes almost turning red with rage towards the flower prince.

"Leave... Kagome... BE!" Inuyasha tried to charge, but a barrier blocked his way. "CURSE YOU!"

"You wouldn't be feeling pain if you would just let the flowers take your sorrows. You'll soon be happy, little miko. Let the flowers bring peace to your soul. Why refuse peace?" Kaou grinned.

Kagome opened one of her eyes and stared at the flower prince, who frowned in confusion.

"What is this? What is this... barrier you have there, little miko?"

_'Barrier?'_ Inuyasha thought in confusion.

"It doesn't matter. This weak barrier is nothing. My flowers can easily break it." Kaou brought a flower towards his lips and kissed it tenderly. Almost immediately, Kagome cried out in pain, and Inuyasha stared in horror as red golden lines of fire started burning a pattern on Kagome's chest, in the shape of a star.

"NO! LEAVE HER ALONE!" Unsheathing his mighty sword, the blade flashing bloody red, Inuyasha charged at the barrier, eyes almost red. The barrier was easily broken, and Inuyasha shot himself against Kaou like a bullet. "YOU'LL PAY FOR HURTING KAGOME, YOU BASTARD!"

When the hanyou came closer, Kaou turned himself into a mass of vines again, standing between the miko and the half demon. Seeing that his barrier was useless this time, the flower prince spread his vines to protect his sacrifice.

Inuyasha growled in despair, seeing Kagome starting to give up. Whatever barrier Kagome had to protect herself, Kaou had smashed it like a bug. And would do the same to her very soul if he didn't do something about it.

"Take a look, hanyou." Kaou smirked. "She's not even shedding tears yet, and my flowers are blooming like they had never before."

Inuyasha looked up to see a huge bloody red flower slowly blooming at the top of the pillar. Many smaller ones bloomed around him, including the pillar.

"So much pain... and to think that the source of this pain is-..."

Kaou was interrupted when a blinding pinkish white light appeared behind him, along with some hot, almost burning sensation. By the half demon's look, it was something big.

However, before the flower prince could look back, whatever was that hot pinkish light behind him exploded into purification golden fire, vaporizing his flowers and slowly eating away his creepy looking body.

It all happened really fast, too fast for even a cry of pain to be shed by the demon. Inuyasha widened his eyes with what he was seeing. First, he saw Kagome go limb, and her chin touched her chest. Then her entire body started glowing with pinkish light, which was growing hotter and hotter. And all of a sudden, an explosion of fire engulfed the clearing. He had no choice but to jump back a few times to avoid being purified to the bones. He didn't know if the fire would hurt Kagome. It couldn't purify her, since she was already pure. But it was fire anyway. Could it burn her?

As he landed, a safe distance between him and the flames, he shielded his eyes from the light, waiting impatiently for the phenomenon to end.

After a few minutes, the light faded away, and he looked around, seeing a nude clearing in the place of the mansion surrounded by flowers. The sweet scent that had been getting him sick was gone, along with the odor of that bastard Kaou. All he could see was the beaten grass and a few branches on the ground.

But if the bastard and its cursed weeds were gone, then where was...?

"Kagome!" The half demon shot towards a body clad in white and green, laying still on the ground, the same spot where she had been held prisoner by the column of vines, now a hole behind the miko's body.

The miko's eyes opened when her name was called. Very dizzily, she tried to lift her head and look around, but her sight was too blurry, her balance wobbly and her body weakened.

"Kagome, are you ok? Please, tell me you're ok!" Inuyasha pleaded, kneeling beside the girl to confirm she wasn't hurt. He helped her to sit up and searched for injuries.

She raised one hand to her head, trying to soothe the dizziness. Light marks 'adorned' her ankles, wrists and neck from the vine's grip. Around her body, on the floor, burned a thin line of ember as if to protect her. Her eyes seemed a bit lighter than normal, almost like sapphires, but they were slowly turning back to their natural stormy blue color.

"Yes, I... I guess I'm fine." She tried to stand up on her own, her legs shaking with weakness. Inuyasha held her around the waist to help her gain balance, but he saw by the way her eyes closed tight that she couldn't walk. Her body seemed warmer than normal too.

"I'm getting you outta here." He scooped her up on his arms and took a final glance around him, recording in mind the unnatural phenomenon that happened right here.

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**Reviews, please. =D**


	3. III Don't Let Them Know

**Reply to Reviews**

**Silkrose**

_Wow, first review. Thank you so much, Silkrose. ^^_

_I was planning on updating the story every day, but I think I'll have to slow down, because I don't have this story completed, and there're not too many chapters left. =/_

_You see, I have this annoying habit of writing future chapters and leaving the 'boring' part of the story to write later. -"_

_Anyway, thank you for the review. I reeeeeeeally appreciated that. =D_

**_AngelNguyen1_**

_I'll try to update a chapter or two every week, Angel. Thank you so much for your review. ;)_

**_PrincessAnime08_**

_I hope you're enjoying yourself reading as much as I enjoyed myself writing. :D_

_I'll update the next chapter soon. :3_

**_Kokoronagomu_**

_Thank you sooooooooo much for the help, Ginny! ^^_

_I'll be forever grateful! :D_

_This time when I tried going to my stories to update Forgotten Legend, that error page didn't come up. I don't know why, but I don't care either. I was really sad when I could update it. :c_

_But now it's fixed, thanks to you._

_And thanks for reading my story. ^^_

**Now, let's keep on with the story. Enjoy. ;)**

**

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**

**Chapter III – Don't Let Them Know**

-Inuyasha, stop.-Her voice got his attention some dozens of meters from the hut where they were hosted.

-We're almost there, Kagome. It's ok...

-No. I need to talk with you alone. Stop here.

Confused, the hanyou stopped under an enormous oak tree, isolated from the village just like the traveler's house. He was sure no one would hear them there.

Carefully he put the girl down, sitting on the ground, leaning against the tree. She sighed tiredly and leaned her head back, looking up at the worried golden orbs staring back at her, with the starry night sky behind him, and presented him with a tired, small, but true smile.

-Kagome...-He started.-What was that back there? How... how did it happen? It was... it was your deed, wasn't it?

Her smile faded, and she lowered her head, closing her eyes.

-Yes, Inuyasha. I did that.

-But how? I've never seen anything like that, anything so powerful, coming from a priestess. Not even-...-He stopped himself, ashamed of what he almost did.

But it was too late. His chest felt like being stabbed by a poisoned sword when Kagome looked up at him with hurting eyes.

-I don't know how, Inuyasha... But what happened was my deed. I did that, but I don't know how.

-Kagome...

-Listen, Inuyasha: I don't want the others to know anything about what happened here. Tell them you defeated Kaou by yourself, without my help.

-What?

-You heard me, Inuyasha.

-Kagome, we can't hide something like this from the others! What you did... not even the most powerful, fully trained mikos can do.

She looked up at him, and then used the tree to stand up on her own, holding the trunk behind her back with both hands.

-Inuyasha... Sango-chan is already stressed because of her brother. I can't give her this burden for her to carry too. Mirok-sama is worried about his wind tunnel. We all know his life is in grave danger, more and more each passing day. And Shippou-chan...-She lowered her head.-...he's only a child... and faced too much already...

-Kagome...-Inuyasha watched her for a few seconds. Then sighed.-You worry too much about the others. If you don't worry about yourself, who will?

She looked up at him and smiled again, a wry one this time.

-I can't help myself... They are like a family to me. That's what we are, right?

-"Huh? A... family...?"-He was quite surprise at that. He knew his friends were very important to him. But it never crossed his mind... having a family. A pack, maybe.-I always thought of us like a pack... but a family sounds nice too.

-A pack?-Kagome tilted her head in confusion. Then she giggled when it clicked in her mind.-Oh yes... Dog demon... pack... I got it.

-And why not? I'm the alpha male, Sango and Mirok are the betas, Shippou is the pup, and Kirara can be the beta too.

-And what's my place in this pack?-She looked at him with a smirk.

-Easy: you're the al-...-He interrupted himself and turned his face away from her, red as a tomato.

-I'm the what?

-Er... forget about it! We were talking about that thing that happened back there!-He shouted, still as red as his clothes.

Kagome was confused at his behavior, but didn't ask anything about it.

As for Inuyasha, he couldn't help but think with himself.

-"Sometimes... no, all the time... I think you're like the alpha female, Kagome. Like my mate. But... Argh, get a grip, you stupid hanyou. Kikyou died a few days ago, and you're after Kagome already? You may love her, but have some respect! Come on!"

They talked under the tree for a few more minutes, until Inuyasha finally agreed into keeping the strange phenomenon a secret between them. But he made it clear that if anything out of the ordinary happened again, he wouldn't hide it from the others. He wouldn't ignore it, no matter what.

In silence, he scooped Kagome on his arms and walked to the house where their friends awaited. Shippou welcomed them and as soon as possible, asking why Kagome wasn't walking on her own. Mirok and Sango looked at Inuyasha, waiting for an answer.

-Kaou attacked her, but she's not hurt.-Inuyasha lied, Kagome hiding a sigh of relief.-She's just a bit shaken.

-So you defeated him on your own?-Mirok asked in surprise. He thought Kaou would surely use the hanyou's pain to his advantage.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, then at Mirok.

-Yes.

**

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**

**Short, isn't it? .-.**

**I'm sorry. TT**

**But the next chapter will be a very good one, I promise. *_***

**Also, I'm putting soundtracks to the story. I've... been playing a lot of Okami lately, so... you can find the soundtracks on youtube. This game soundtrack is AWESOME!**

**However, the background musics (I guess that's what they call it xD) are not only from Okami. There are some soundtracks of some films and other games too.**

**Oh yeah. And about that other account I made... man, i don't really know what I'll do if that one now. =/ I was so sad about that error... I mean,... you see, my first fanfics were ready when I started uploading them. I was really excited about uploading them to see what fanfic readers would think about them... , but those F*** thieves took my pendrive and I lost all of them. :C Could swear I had 10 fanfics in there.**

**After recovering from the trauma (no kidding, but having a gun poking the back of your head isn't exactly nice), I started all over again with new stories, but I have this habit of only uploading fanfics that I'm about 90% sure I'll finish them. So... yeah.**

**Anyway, enough talk about my depressed mod.**** On with a preview! :D**

**Preview:**

_An explosion was all that could be heard__._

_..._

_-You'll pay for this...-The hanyou-turned demon swore. But before he could do anything a light pink glow got both the hanyou and yokai attention. _

_..._

_The group was curled together, as if expecting the final blow to strike, what never came. They were safe and sound, thanks to a fading cherry colored barrier. Small amounts of spider webs burned in purifying fire all around them._

_..._

_-K-Kagome-chan...?-Sango uttered in shock. Kagome's body was glowing with white pinkish light, her eyes still closed._

_..._

_Upon hearing her name, the miko opened her eyes. Crystal blue eyes. What was going on?_

**_Oh yeah. This fanfic is also being translated to portuguese at Anime Spirit, a brazillian site. My nick there is Loki-Rachel._**

**_See ya! ;)_**


	4. IV Unleashed

**Reply to Reviews**

**PrincessAnime08**

_Thanks. ^^_

_I've read some stories containing these things about packs, alphas, pups and mates, and I really liked it. So I decided to include a bit of it to my story too. It's kinda funny, after all, Inu is a dog demon. ;) I really like it when he gets all overprotective of Kagome. xD_

_Thanks for reading and reviewing my story too. ;) I hope you're enjoying it._

**Angel Nguyen1**

_Yeah, I think __it's really funny and sweet when he gets all overprotective of Kagome and says these kinds of things about his group. :3_

_I'm thinking on putting previews now that the chapters are getting more interesting. It always works when they do it on TV, so why not on these stories? It's a very useful tool to get the readers even more excited about the story, don't you think? :P_

_Thanks for reading and reviewing the story. ^^_

* * *

**Here we go again, guys. :D**

**New chapter of Forgotten Legend!**

**In this chapter, the first background music of the story! /o/**

**I'll indicate where the music suits. ****You guys can hear it here:**

**.com/watch?v=oVgK_9JYXLc**

**Enjoy! =D**

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**Chapter IV – Unleashed**

The days passed by smoothly after the peculiar incident in the battle against Kaou. Nothing related to that happened since then, but it didn't mean that nothing happened at all.

The group hadn't had much peace. Each one of them had their own trials to deal with.

They all faced Kanna's last battle and Kagome witnessed her dying words, which rendered her a few nights of insomnia under the worried watch of Inuyasha while she spent her resting hours next to the camp fire in deep thoughts.

Soon, Mirok and Sango had their own challenge: bone yokais. Sango fought to get the trust of her own weapon after poisoning it in order to save Mirok's life.

And not a moment too soon, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had another fight. This one cost Inuyasha a few deep gashes on his back, and a powered up Tessaiga with a brand new attack. It happened just one day ago, and the hanyou's wounds were still fresh. Because of the strong poison, his injuries were taking a longer time to heal.

Her hands froze when a growl vibrated the hanyou's body.

-Sorry...-She carefully loosened the bands she was using to wrap his torso.

-Keh.-He shook his shoulders to soothe the pain.-Just finish it already.

She couldn't help but smile at his attempts of not being rude with her. A few months ago, he wouldn't even let her get close to take care of his wounds. Now he would practically wait for her to approach with the first aid kit and spent hours if necessary to treat every single scratch he got. To replace the mean names he used to call her when she touched a rather sensitive spot, he would growl for her to hurry and finish it once and for all. And with the major wounds treated, he would shake her hands away and move away, as if saying that she did enough and didn't need to worry. She was sure it meant that he was thanking her in a way or another. She already knew him enough to understand what he meant with his actions.

Doing a final knot with the bands, she gently tapped his shoulder.

-Better now?

-Yeah.-He got up and stretched his back carefully. His wounds were already closed, and the remedy wasn't stinging anymore.

The door of the abandoned hut was opened by Sango.

-Inuyasha, Kagome. You might want to hear this.-She said and exited soon after.

The hanyou and the priestess shared a suspicious look before following the demon slayer.

-An illness?-Mirok asked the traveler sitting in front of him.

-Yes, that's what some have been telling me. But I highly suspect it is yokai activity.-The old traveler said with worry.-Some yokai took control of these poor wanderers for some nasty prank. I'm sure of it.

-So people are getting sick all of a sudden and go wandering from village to village spreading it?-Shippou reasoned.

-Yes. I'm not sure, but I think this illness controls people and make them seek for something. Everyone is getting worried in the area. They say that if you cross your way with one of these sick people, you get sick as well and eventually die. Even cadavers are dangerous.

-Sounds like something from Narak.-Inuyasha growled.

-Should we investigate?-Sango suggested.

-Yes.-Inuyasha kneeled.-Come on, Kagome.

-Inuyasha, your back is still healing. I think you shouldn't-...

-I'll be ok, don't worry. Hop on.

They had been running for a few minutes. Inuyasha had sweat drops on his forehead because of the pain he was feeling on his back for carrying Kagome right on his healing wounds.

-Inuyasha, stop please. I know you're hurting.-She said worriedly.

-I'm ok, Kagome... don't worry.

Kirara flew beside Inuyasha.

-Inuyasha, maybe Kirara can carry Kagome-chan with us. At least you won't be hurting.-Sango suggested.

-No, I'll carry her. Just keep up.

Kagome suddenly shot her head up and looked around.

-Kagome?

-There's something that way.-She pointed towards a direction.

-What is it?

Her eyes widened.

-IT'S COMING FAST!

Before the group could react, a tentacle of spider webs shot out of the foliage towards them. With a brusque maneuver, Inuyasha and Kirara avoided the attack, along with their 'riders'. Inuyasha, however, lost his balance due to the wounds, and rolled on the ground. Kagome was sent a few meters away, her hands, arms and knees scraped on the ground.

-KAGOME!-Inuyasha shouted as he quickly got up, scared for her well being.

-Kagome!-Shippou jumped from Kirara's back and ran towards the girl, checking if she was ok.

Groaning with the pain of the scrapes, she rolled on her back and sat up, holding an arm that had been probably dislodged. Arms, legs and hands were covered in blood and dirt.

-I'm ok...

-Let me see your arm.-Sango approached quickly while Mirok stood in front of them for cover, Kirara beside him.

-Damn you...-Inuyasha snarled, looking at his opponent. From the foliages, stepped a bull's skeleton. Its back was covered with putrid leather, and the insides of the skeleton were filled with white silky spider web.-Careful. This demon reeks of acid poison. It's being manipulated by Narak.

-It seems that Narak isn't controlling only humans.-Mirok commented.

Inuyasha leaped towards the bull, trying to piece its head with Tessaiga. He did it, but the bull was unaffected.

-What the...?-He jumped back, avoiding the bull's horns when it shook its head at him. Rearing on its hind legs, the bovine hit the ground with the front hooves, shaking it a little.

-That thing is already dead...-Mirok muttered with himself, analyzing the battle.

Inuyasha leaped again, and succeeded into cutting the bull's head off. But the spider webs within the body reached out from the neck and knotted itself around the horns, pulling it towards the body again. With its head in place, the bull stood there as if nothing happened.

-Damn it.-Inuyasha growled.

-Inuyasha, that thing is already dead! Narak is only controlling the carcass!-Mirok warned.

-Dead? How can I kill something that is already dead, Mirok?

While the two discussed, Sango was taking care of Kagome.

-You arm is dislodged, Kagome.-The demon slayer said worriedly, holding Kagome's arm to keep it from moving.

-What?-Kagome widened her eyes in fear. She knew what this meant.

-We need to put it into place again.

Gulping, Kagome looked at her arm.

-Just... just wait a minute till I'm ready.-She asked, taking a deep breath.

Sango nodded, and turned her head towards the battle after hearing Inuyasha deliver a Kaze no Kizu.

The bull's skeleton dismounted into countless bones parts. But when Inuyasha was about to claim victory, the white webs started moving again, gathering the bones and remounting the skeleton.

Growling, Inuyasha watched as the bull remounted itself. But a cry of pain got his attention, and he turned around to see what was harming Kagome.

Sango was holding her arm, and Kagome had her eyes tightly shut, tears of pain escaping her eyes.

-"Kagome..."

Distracted, Inuyasha didn't notice when the bull stood and looked at him. And charged.

-INUYASHA, LOOK OUT!-Mirok tried to warn, but it was already too late to react.

The bull knocked Inuyasha against a tree, making him gasp with his wounds reopened and bleeding.

While the hanyou fell on his hands and knees, the bull turned towards the group.

Inuyasha's eyes went as wide as dinner plates when Shippou screamed in terror.

-"No... no..."-He looked up to see the bull aiming a ball of webs and poison coming from its mouth. Mirok held his sealing beads in worry, Sango clenched her grip on Hirakoitsu, Kirara growled, Shippou whimpered and held Kagome's shirt in a death grip, while the miko slowly subdued the pain enough to open her eyes and look up, seeing what was about to happen. Her eyes widened in fear.

Inuyasha could only think of one thing: shot to them to save their lives.

_(I highly suggest you to listen to the song__ "The Boy was Right" from the film Legend of the Guardians – The Owls of Ga'Hoole while reading this part.)_

-RUN! GET OUTTA THERE!

But it was too late. The deadly ball of webs and poison went flying like a bullet towards the group. The half demon could do nothing but watch in terror as his pack, his only family, was killed right in front of him.

Seconds before the projectile hit its target, he saw as Kagome closed her eyes, scared of the pain. Scared of the death.

An explosion was all that could be heard. There was no gasp. No scream. Hopefully, no pain. Only the silent fall of debris and the dust covering the place where the group once was.

With a disdainful snort, the bull turned to the hanyou, and stepped back in hesitation upon the sight of the red eyes of pure rage coming from him.

-You'll pay for this...-The hanyou-turned demon swore. But before he could do anything...

_(This part is when the music is soother.)_

...a light pink glow got both the hanyou and yokai attention. They looked towards the settling cloud of smoke, from where the rays of pink light were coming. As the dust settled down, Inuyasha's eyes turned back into golden orbs filled with hope and amazement.

The group was curled together, as if expecting the final blow to strike, what never came. They were safe and sound, thanks to a fading cherry colored barrier. Small amounts of spider webs burned in purifying fire all around them. The vegetation out of the barrier was dry and dead, but inside the barrier, it was green, alive and healthy.

Sango, Mirok, Shippou and Kirara opened their eyes in confusion, and looked down to see what was glowing so blindly.

-K-Kagome-chan...?-Sango uttered in shock. Kagome's body was glowing with white pinkish light, her eyes still closed in fear.

Upon hearing her name, the miko opened her eyes. Crystal blue eyes. What was going on?

The scared miko looked around, not sure of what was happening. The bull yokai snorted angrily and tried to attack with another ball of webs and poison. It shot towards the humans and yokais, but froze in mid air half a meter away from the barrier. Unseen by all of them, Kagome's pupils shifted, and the ball of poison and webs burst into flames, ricocheted back, and hit the demon right on its chest. The yokai cried out in pain as the flames consumed him. It didn't take long to consume the entire yokai.

The dried grass burst into flames and burned to ashes, leaving a fruitful soil behind. The fire didn't even touch the healthy plants, only the dead.

Once the last ember was extinguished, Kagome's eyes started growing darker to its normal stormy blue color. And her body grew weaker.

With a sigh, she passed out.

-KAGOME!-Hearing Shippou's cry, Inuyasha cursed and stumbled towards the girl.

* * *

**That's all for today, guys. ;)**

**Remember your reviews. ^^**

**Hopefully I'll update again this weekend. My exams will start this week. Crap! DX**

**Anyway, on with another preview. ;)**

**Preview**

_-There's something strange with her powers..._

_-Her powers?-Inuyasha looked at the monk._

_-It's strange... It's like... something is stirring inside her... Like... something has awakened..._

...

_Sango's brows arched at the star shaped mark on Kagome's chest. It was an eight pointed star, formed by squares. It looked like a birthmark, but was slightly faded._

_-I don't understand. Kagome-chan and I...are like sisters. She never showed me this birthmark._

_-This is not a regular birthmark.-Hitomiko covered the mark and moved back a little.-It's a mark of legendary priestesses known as star mikos._

**See ya. ^^**


	5. V The Legendary Star Miko

**So sorry guys. D:**

**This week had been a mess. No ending exams and exercises and stuff that we all know can be a pain in the ass. But I survived to continue Forgotten Legend. :D**

**A bit late, but I'm here anyway. So sorry again. :c But hey, it's not my entire fault! The login thing was jammed! **(I sense an error here, BUT WHATEVER!)

**Next week will be a bit calmer, so I can develop more chapters. Got only one more ready since last week. Oh boy...**

**Anyway...**

* * *

**Reply to Reviews**

**PrincessAnime08**

_Here comes more info about star mikos. :D Not that much info, but it's already something. There will be more about them on future chapter. ;)_

**Prinzessin Kiwi**

_Sorry about that. ^^"_

_In Brazil, Miroku's name is spelled like 'Mirok', and Naraku is spelled like 'Narak', so I've got used to writing their names like this. I'll try to write it right from now on. ;)_

**Kagomethebeautifulmiko**

_Thank you so much. I kinda like these songs of movies and games, and most of them got me in the right 'mood' to write this story, so I only found it suitab__le to share them with you guys. :D_

**AngelNguyen1**

_Thanks for wishing me luck. This entire week had been a mess, but I got through, hopefully with no low grades. xD_

_There's some info about the star mikos in this chapter, but only a bit. There will be a lot more later. ;)_

* * *

**Surprise! Another background music here!**

**.com/watch?v=PXYpNkvz5II**

**On with the story!**

* * *

**Chapter V – The Legendary Star Miko**

-Kagome... Kagome, please wake up.-Shippou tried to shake the girl's arm, but she didn't answered.-Is she...?

Inuyasha growled at the possibility. Sango touched her cheek and checked her pulse and breathing.

-She's alive, but not ok. Something is troubling her and causing a high fever.

Miroku approached and touched her forehead.

-There's something strange with her powers...

-Her powers?-Inuyasha looked at the monk.

-It's strange... It's like... something is stirring inside her... Like... something has awakened...

-We must take her to a healer.-Inuyasha took her body on his arms.-And quickly. Her fever is getting higher too fast.

-Are you sure you can carry her, Inuyasha? Your wounds are open again, and-...

-I'm fine. I'll carry her.-Inuyasha made sure Kagome was comfy on his arms, with her head resting against his chest. Raising his head, he sniffed the air. He could smell herbs and incense, along with other village smells. Meaning that there was a village nearby, and along with it, a shrine. Good, a priestess would check Kagome and see what was wrong with her.

-"I'm so sorry Kagome. I almost failed you again... Damn it! Why am I so weak?"

Inuyasha ran as fast as he could, trying to ignore his bleeding wounds. But as the time passed, and the night approached, Kagome's fever got higher and higher. And a thunder roared in the distance. Inuyasha cursed.

Hitomiko observed the village where she lived since she was a child from the top of the stairs leading to the shrine. Black clouds rolled on the horizon, spreading scratches of light. The cold wind brought the warnings of the incoming rain. And something else...

-Hum? What is it?-Something strong stirred her anxiety. Something was coming fast towards her, and it made her edgy, but she could feel it wasn't dangerous at all. It was just... odd.

-"I better prepare a room."-She thought to herself, not sure why she should do this. She just knew.

Inuyasha didn't lose any time in the village. He ran through the empty roads till he could see the temple's stairs. The wind and rain were really cold, and he used his haori to cover Kagome's heating body. He could feel her heart slowing down because of the fever and she was fighting to breath.

-"Hold on, Kagome. Just a bit longer."

She groaned in pain, clenching her teeth. He had to hurry.

As soon as he saw the temple's stairs, he started feeling relief. With a couple of powerful jumps, he was on the temple grounds, shouting at the top of his lungs.

-WHOEVER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PLACE, SHOW YOURSELF!-He shouted urgently.

-Inuyasha, calm down! You'll make them think we're a threat!-Miroku said as he jumped from Kirara's back.-Hello? We're not a threat! We need help! Our friend is sick!

-I felt you coming...-The door of the building opened to reveal a priestess with long dark brown hair reaching the middle of her back in a straight cut and brown calm but serious eyes. Besides her red and white clothing, she had a red necklace and held a cluster of golden bells.-What's wrong with your friend?

-She got really sick all of a sudden.-Sango said worriedly.-Can you help her?

-Bring her inside before she gets sick with this storm. I prepared a room for you all.

Hitomiko couldn't understand. This girl's soul was troubled and in pain, but her spiritual powers refused to calm down. By what the young girl's friends said, her powers have being used for some time now. There should be no reason for it to be so disturbed now. Or her body and mind should be used to it already.

-I don't understand...-She said.-Her powers are restless... but I don't know why. Her body and mind are suffering because of her powers, but as you said, she has being using her powers for some time. There shouldn't be a reason why this is happening.

-But she's gonna be ok, right?-Shippou asked, observing his surrogate mother laying on that altar, surrounded by candles and incense. Five candles on the top of five wooden candle-holders around the altar formed a pattern of blue light on the ground in the form of a five pointed star, the candles being the tips.

The energy flowing from the pattern was soothing, but apparently, not for Kagome. She twisted and moaned in pain, sparks of electricity surrounding her body. It was a clear rejection to the spell used on her.

Inuyasha's ears were flat on his head, worried. He refused to have his wounds treated for the sake of Kagome.

-"What happened with you all of a sudden, Kagome?"-He thought, observing as Kagome painfully fought whatever was harming her to survive.

-I'm doing everything I know to calm down her entire being; body, soul and powers. But none of them is responding to me. It's totally unbalanced.

-Can't you 'balance' her again?-Inuyasha asked impatiently.

-It's not that easy. We don't even know why she's like this.-Hitomiko closed her eyes in thoughts.-What's her name again?

-It's Kagome. Higurashi Kagome.-Inuyasha answered.

-Kagome...?-Hitomiko opened her eyes as the memories of her childhood came to her mind involuntarily.

_Kagome, Kagome__,_

_You're a bird in a cage._

_The egret and the turtle split and fell._

_Who's behind you now?_

-Kagome... Kagome... You're a bird in a cage...-She sang quietly.

-"What is she doing?"-Inuyasha growled in mind.-"She's singing while Kagome is literally dying in front of her? Why, I should-..."

-You're a bird in a cage... bird in a cage...-The miko opened her eyes, apprehensively staring at Kagome.-In a cage...?

All of a sudden, Kagome convulsed once and gasped. The candles were blown by a mysterious wind, leaving them in the dark hearing the sounds of the storm and Kagome's labored breath.

Inuyasha got up, ready to go and soothe his human friend, seeing that the miko couldn't help them at all. But the priestess' voice stopped him.

-Stop where you are, hanyou.-She said calmly, standing and approaching the altar, lighting some candles.-Now I see what is wrong with her...

The miko kneeled beside the untrained priestess, and touched her chest, right over her heart. Kagome winced.

-Calm down... it's ok now...-Hitomiko looked at the group from over her shoulder.-You can approach, demon slayer. I believe you have permission to see this.

-Permission?-Miroku, Shippou and Inuyasha looked at each other quizzically as Sango gulped and approached the mikos, worried about her best friend.

-What is it, Hitomiko-sama?

Hitomiko looked at her for a moment, then at Kagome's covered front. She moved the white shirt down just a bit.

_(__Background song: Okami – Prologue Theme)_

Sango's brows arched at the star shaped mark on Kagome's chest. It was an eight pointed star, formed by squares. It looked like a birthmark, but was slightly faded.

-I don't understand. Kagome-chan and I...are like sisters. She never showed me this birthmark. I never saw it before.

-This is not a regular birthmark.-Hitomiko covered the mark and moved back a little.-It's a mark of legendary priestesses known as star mikos.

-Legendary?-Inuyasha's ears perked in interest.

-Star mikos?-Miroku was also interested.

-What's that?-Shippou tilted his head in confusion.

-I don't know much about them. In fact, there isn't much information about them, for they are extremely rare.-Hitomiko looked back at Kagome.-They are fairly recognized by their mystical powers. Some say they're angels reborn on earth to fight the evils that escaped from the deeps of hell, or are the spirits of elements taking solid form among the mortals.

-Wow! You mean that Kagome is an angel for real?-Shippou jumped.

-Something big must have happened for them to be so praised.-Miroku commented.

-Yes. They say each priestess can control an element, and change our destiny. It is told that they are here to drive our fates according to what is suppose to happen. That's why they are also called daughters of destiny in some myths.

-Wow.-Shippou was amazed, just like the others.

Hitomiko looked at the candle next to her, seeing the fire dancing in an odd way.

-I believe you already heard about the legend of the Shikon no Tama? How it was originated?-She looked up and received a unanimous nod.-The legendary Midoriko was a star miko herself. Some myths says that artifacts such as the Shikon no Tama are originated from the death in battle of a star miko, their very powers taking form in a cursed relic.

The group widened their eyes.

-You mean... that Kagome is somewhat related to... Midoriko?-Inuyasha was amazed.

-Like a reincarnation?-Added Shippou.

-Not exactly. There's some kind of connection between them, yes. They have a similar level of power, and are able of things that neither of us can even imagine.-Hitomiko closed her eyes.-However... this girl worries me.

-Why?-Sango asked in confusion.

-Something is sealing her powers. It has being sealing them since she was born. That's why she's in so much pain.

-But if her powers had been sealed for so long and nothing happened till now... why is she like this?-Miroku tried to approach Kagome to check on her. Inuyasha soon stood to keep an eye on the pervert monk.

-Something weakened the seal. It strengthened her powers and weakened the seal. And this is putting her life in danger, because her body is not used to so much power. If the seal is completely broken, her powers will overcome her body and eventually kill her.

Inuyasha's eyes fell on Kagome's face, something clicking in his mind.

-"Kikyou..."

-Isn't there anything we can do?-Shippou almost jumped on the priestess, out of panic.

-Her only chance is to be sealed again.-Hitomiko closed her eyes.-But whatever is sealing her now, must be something extremely strong, especially to seal something this powerful. I can't create a seal this strong... but I can reinforce this already existing one.

-Then do it!-Inuyasha growled.-She won't hold on for much longer!

-I'll do whatever I can to help. But her seal will be ready only in the morning. Till then...-Himiko turned towards the newly discovered star miko.

* * *

**Preview of Chapter VI**

_-Forgive me, star miko. This is for your own good.-Saying this, Hitomiko placed the necklace around Kagome's neck. The embers froze in mid air and floated back towards Kagome's chest._

_The embers covered the faded lines forming the star on her chest, and slowly made it disappear completely, like it was never there._


	6. VI Kagome Kagome You're a Bird in a Cage

**Man, it's so tiresome to translate this thing. D: I promised myself that I would update both English and Portuguese versions at the same time.**

**But here it is. :D **

**Hope you enjoy it. ^^**

* * *

**Reply to Reviews**

**Angel Nguyen1**

_U__nfortunately no. :c For now, that is._

_She will only have her standard powers for some time... till things get a bit worse. xD_

_Thanks for reading and reviewing. ^^_

**PrincessAnime08**

_Things will get even more interesting. ;)_

_Thanks for reading my story. ^^_

* * *

**On with the story!**

* * *

**Chapter VI – Kagome, Kagome. You're a bird in a cage**

Inuyasha stood there, unconsciously holding his breath. Before him, Hitomiko knelled beside Kagome's body, holding a necklace made of wood, in the form of a drop, with the shape of an eight pointed star carved on it.

While the miko whispered a spell to conjure a seal, Inuyasha observed as Kagome's body twisted in pain. Small portions of pinkish embers appeared above her body and floated up until they disappeared.

He had watched this tormented scene the whole night while taking care of her. There was nothing they could do to soothe her pain, unless seal her powers again.

He could remember when Sango couldn't take this anymore and exited the room in sobs. Shippou awaited in the other room with Miroku and Kirara.

-Forgive me, star miko. This is for your own good.-Saying this, Hitomiko placed the necklace around Kagome's neck. The star engraved on the wood flashed once. The embers froze in mid air and floated back towards Kagome's chest.-It's working...

Hitomiko moved the shirt covering her chest, only enough to not make the situation embarrassing, since Inuyasha was watching. The embers covered the faded lines forming the star, and slowly made it disappear completely, like it was never there.

The young girl relaxed, sighing in relief.

-She will be fine now.-Hitomiko looked at Inuyasha.-As long as she keeps wearing this amulet, her powers will be at bay, and won't hurt her.

Inuyasha nodded and looked at Kagome.

-Kagome?-Shippou appeared at the entrance of the room.-Is she ok?

-She will be.-Hitomiko stood and walked out of the room.-Now if you excuse me, I will prepare you some tea.

-Thanks for everything, Hitomiko-sama.-Sango smiled in gratitude. Tears of relief were on the corner of her eyes, and a smile was noticeable on her lips.

-SANGO! SHE'S AWAKING!-Shippou screamed in joy.

-Stop screaming, you runt! Can't you see she's still recovering?-The hanyou growled.

Sango turned around and ran towards the group surrounding the priestess.

-Kagome-chan!-Sango knelled beside the girl.

Her closed eyelids fluttered before opening. The image before her was blurry and smoky, so she blinked a few times to try and clear her sight.

-Guys...?-She asked in a tired voice.-Where... where are we?-She turned her head slowly and tried to focus her vision farther to see the room.

-We're in a shrine, Kagome-sama. We're all safe.-Miroku explained.-The priestess Hitomiko-sama took good care of you.

-Kagome, are you feeling ok? Are you still hurting?

Kagome looked at Inuyasha, whose amber eyes were filled with concern.

-No, I'm not hurting. I guess I'm ok.-She said, sighing as she tried to remember what happened.-I... I can't remember what happened. We were being attacked by this yokai, and then...

The group looked at each other for a brief second, as if wondering if it was the right time to tell her the truth.

-Kagome-chan...-Sango started.-We were indeed being attacked by a yokai. A dead bull yokai controlled by Narak's webs. It knocked Inuyasha down, and was about to strike us with a fatal blow, but...

-You shone like the morning sun and created a barrier to protect us.-Shippou finished enthusiastically with a huge smile.

-Yeah, and...-Sango continued.-...and then you passed out.

-We brought you here and the head priestess treated you.-Miroku finished.

There was a brief moment of silence before Kagome asked.

-And what did she say?

But before any of them could formulate an answer, Inuyasha interrupted them.

-You need to rest, Kagome.

-But what about-...

-Kagome.-Inuyasha looked hard at her. She didn't have the will to fight back. When Inuyasha used that serious tone and that matching gaze, it meant that it was useless to fight back. His word was final this time.-Rest.

-Ok...-She sighed in defeat.

Sango pulled the blankets to her best friend's chin, and shooed the others to let her rest. Inuyasha persisted till he was allowed to stay. He watched as Kagome's lids slowly covered her eyes, and she fell into a light slumber.

-You don't plan on hiding this from her for too long, right?-Sango asked quietly.-We can't keep this a secret from her and you know that, right?

-I don't plan on keeping secrets from Kagome, Sango.-Inuyasha answered just as quietly, not taking his eyes from Kagome slumbering form.-I just... want to give her time to rest. She's been through a lot already. And this story... is far from over. Let her sleep for now.

Sango nodded and went silent.

-"A star miko..."-Inuyasha closed his eyes as he thought about the information Hitomiko gave them.-"I never expected something like this. It seems that you have more enigmas than we thought, Higurashi Kagome."

As he kept watching Kagome peaceful sleep, he couldn't help but wonder.

-"Who did this to her powers? Who sealed it? Could it really be... Kikyou?"

Kagome slept for the entire morning, under the careful watch of Inuyasha. He never left her side, while the others would come to check on her.

Hitomiko told them, away from Kagome's ears, that the seal she used on her didn't seal the regular miko powers that Kagome had, only that of a star miko. However, there was no guarantee the seal would keep her powers completely at bay. A display of a star miko's powers might occur at any time, so hiding the truth from Kagome for too long wouldn't be a very wise idea.

So as soon as Kagome had woken up, eaten lunch and was strong enough to stand on her own, Inuyasha approached her with a serious look and extended a hand to her.

-We need to talk.-Were his simple words, but they were not harsh. Kagome was confused when she sensed a hint of worry in his voice, but she took his hand nonetheless, accepting the help to get up, and followed him to the garden of the temple. Not before Inuyasha sent a head blowing glare at the rest of the group, who froze on their way and immediately sat back on their places.-When I said 'we', I meant me and Kagome only, you idiots!

The pair walked in silence till they found a stone bench under a tree and beside a short stone garden lamp, which was currently off. They sat there in silence, each looking at a different direction.

-Your arm...-Inuyasha muttered after several minutes of silence, except for the gentle breeze and the cheerful bird around.

-Huh?-Kagome looked confused at the hanyou sitting cross-legged beside her on the bench. He stole a glance at her, but looked at the ground again.

-Does it hurt?

She looked at her arm, limp as it rest on a white band knotted around her neck.

-No, I-...

-Don't lie.

Kagome looked up at the hanyou, who stared angrily at the horizon.

-Don't blame yourself.-She touched his shoulder with her good hand.

-How couldn't I?-He sighed and looked at her.-You're hurting again because of me.

-The pain is not so bad, Inuyasha. I feel fine.-The girl smiled reassuringly.

-Maybe right now you're not feeling pain. But what about before?-Inuyasha sighed and propped his elbows on his knees.-I don't like seeing you in pain, Kagome.

She observed him for a few minutes, then rested her head on his shoulder, touching the other with her good hand.

-Inuyasha, listen to what I have to say. I know you wish to protect me from everything. I know you wish to be stronger only for that. And you do it well.

-Yeah, sure...-He rolled his eyes sarcastically.

-You do. I lost the count of how many times you almost killed yourself to protect me. But you can't protect me from everything, Inuyasha. I know you want to, but you can't. In truth, I'm the one who should learn how to protect myself.

Inuyasha sat straight and looked serious at her.

-Don't even think about it, wench. I am the one who must protect you. There's no need for you to protect yourself, because I'll always be there.

-You're gonna put me inside a bell jar?-She joked.

-If I need to, I will.-He smirked in return.

-Stop it.-She pushed his shoulder playfully and got up.

-Hey! But that sounds like a good idea! I could keep an eye on you and you'd never go back to that stinky time of yours! It's perfect!-He kept playing as he followed her through the garden.

-Don't make me say that word...-She threatened, but didn't feel like punishing him for kidding around with her. So she smiled playfully to ease the threat.

-Keh! I was just kidding. Where's your sense of humor, wench?-He snorted.

-I was kidding too, baka.-She giggled as she stopped on the top of the hill, gazing at the village below. The town seemed to be in full activity, fixing one hut or another after yesterday's storm. She wasn't awake to see its strength, but by the damage it caused here...

_Kagome, Kagome,_

_You're a bird in a cage._

_The egret and the turtle split and fell._

_Who's behind you now?_

Kagome's gaze turned towards a group of kids playing near the temple's stairs. Her eyes darkened a bit in a mix of nostalgia and a bit of annoyance.

Inuyasha had been watching those kids too after his ears had catch them singing Kagome's name. Why they did that? He knew it was some sort of game, and they weren't hurting the boy sitting in the middle of the circle, covering his eyes. What kind of game was that? And why Kagome's name was involved?

He was about to ask, but not before he catch sight of Kagome's expression. Did that child's play upset her? But why? Did she used to play that game? Did her childhood friends used to hurt or make fun of her for having the name of Kagome?

Brushing thoughts of hunting down the adult versions of those brats in her time, Inuyasha decided to ask. Maybe that game just brought bad memories...

-Kagome?

-Yeah?

-That game those kids are playing... why are they singing your name?

-Because...-She sighed.-That's how it's played. They sing this song while circling the kid in the middle, and when it ends, they stop where they are and the kid in the middle needs to guess who's behind him.

Inuyasha observed that her expression didn't change.

-You used to play it, didn't you?

-Yeah.-She nodded.-But I used to hate that game. The other kids used to circle around me. Every single time. Some of them even made stupid jokes.

-"I knew it!"-Inuyasha bit down a growl.

-Sometimes I thought that mama named me after this stupid game.-She rolled her eyes.-And I grew to hate my name as well.

-But...-Inuyasha blushed an interesting crimson red, and turned his face away from her.-Your name... it's...

-It's what?

-I-I think it's a beautiful name.-He looked at her, showing his most sincere little smile.

-Y-you do?-Kagome blushed as well.-"Is it just me or Inuyasha is being nicer to me?"

-Y-yes, of course.-He turned to hide his blushing again.

Kagome looked away from him.

-Well... I don't hate my name anymore. One day I asked mama why she named me Kagome.

-And what did she say?

-She said-...

Before Kagome could finish, the two of them stood quickly and looked at the temple. Kagome gasped.

-S-spider webs!

-Shit!-Inuyasha muttered under his breath.-Come on, Kagome!

* * *

**Preview**** of Chapter VII**

_When she let the arrow fly, only Hitomiko saw as Kagome's eyes turned, for a split second, into a lighter blue shade, almost crystal. She smirked, and observed with interest as the arrow disappeared right before it could hit her heart. And she didn't need to look back to see the arrow striking the evil presence square on its face. Then again, she smirked._


	7. VII Memories

Hey guys. Sorry it took so long. I've been kinda busy lately, and I needed to translate my story so I can upload it on the Brazilian fanfiction site Anime Spirit.

But I've finished it, and now it's here. :D

Forgotten Legend Chapter 7!

* * *

**Reply to Reviews**

**KikyoWillDieByMyHands**

_Cool! :D Thanks for reading and reviewing! ^^_

**PrincessAnime08**

_You know what? Me too. xD_

_But she won't need that seal for too long._

_Thanks for your review. ;)_

**kagomethebeautifulmiko**

_Yeah, Inuyasha is all tough and stuff, but he can be a big sweetie too. :D_

_I'm just wondering if I'm making him too sweetie for his… erm… nature, if you understand me. But come to think of it: he's much nicer towards Kagome and the others during Kanketsu-hen than he was in the beginning of the series. Or am I just seeing things? .-._

_Anyway, thanks so much for reviewing. :D_

**AngelNguyen1**

_Well… yeah. But not right now. ^^_

_Sorry, but my preview wasn't that clear. It was supposed to be Hitomiko the one smirking, but after I read it, it sure does sounds like it's Kagome the one smirking. Sorry about that. D:_

**glon morski**

_Thank you so much. :D_

_I've been thinking a lot about this story, and I just can't stop coming up with new ideas._

_I'll do my best to keep it as good as it is now. Or even better: improve it._

_Thanks for reviewing. ^^_

**On with the story!**

* * *

**Chapter VII – Memories**

_/Flash Back\\\\\_

_The hospital room was peacefully silent. Curious birds sat on the window sill to spy on the young woman lying on the white bed, humming a calm lullaby to her precious newborn daughter. Even if she was exhausted from an entire night of labor to bring this precious little angel to the world, Mrs. Higurashi couldn't let her eyes close to sleep and lose sight of the beautiful baby sleeping in her arms. Her baby._

_-Enjoy the silence, my little baby. You won't be able to enjoy much silence once your crazy grandpa arrives here.-She giggled._

_The baby girl yawned, but a sudden cry of commemoration from just outside the door made the girl open her big blue eyes in fright, looking at her mother._

_-SHE'S BORN! MY FIRST GRANDDAUGHTER! A BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL!_

_Mother and daughter exchanged glances for a few seconds. Then the baby started crying, and the young woman smiled._

_-Easy now, easy now. Good girl.-Mrs. Higurashi gently tapped her daughter's back, slowly smoothening the cries. She smiled and scooted the baby closer.-Your name will be Kagome. Ka-go-me. Nice to meet you, Kagome-chan._

_The baby stopped crying, and showed what looked like a smile. The birthmark in the shape of an eight-tipped star glowed on her small chest._

_(Five years and a half later...)_

_-Easy now, Easy now.-A five years old little girl, wearing a pink dress, cooed at her little baby brother, who laughed in return._

_Mrs. Higurashi couldn't help but smile at her daughter's gentle nature towards her little brother. At first, she was worried that her little Kagome would get jealous of Souta for receiving more attention from their mother, but she seemed to understand that her brother needed it more, and didn't seem to mind as long as she could keep playing and maybe help take care of him. She dodged the diapers change though._

_-Mama, why my name's Kagome?-Little Kagome asked all of a sudden._

_-Why do you ask?-Mrs. Higurashi didn't look up from her sewing. Her daughter was silent for a few seconds._

_-The other kids keep making fun of me... They sing 'Kagome, Kagome'..._

_-I see.-Mrs. Higurashi put her sewing aside to look at her little girl.-Sorry about that. But you know what? I saw it._

_-You saw it?_

_-Yes. When you were born, I saw a figure of this shape glowing on your chest.-Her mother picked one of the many colorful crayons the girl had been using and left on the table, and draw an eight tipped star on a piece of paper.-The figure of this star is called Kagome._

_Young Kagome hummed in understanding._

_/Flash Back\\\\\_

-"The Shikon no Tama was hidden inside my body. Maybe that's the reason my mother could see that glowing light. If that's the case, then my name came from the Shikon no Tama. It doesn't mean that I was born with any special powers though."

Kagome was staring to have a headache, and it surely wasn't from almost being strangled.

When they arrived at the temple, Inuyasha and Kagome encountered the rest of their friends in front of the gates, which were obstructed by a pinkish, almost purple barrier. They encountered Hitomiko, apparently possessed and surrounded by the spider webs. They immediately knew who was responsible for this.

Kagome figured that she was the only one able to break the barrier, and used an arrow to do so. However, she had caught the bait: it was a trap.

Kagome had to face a violent version of the gentle priestess that treated her. Hitomiko seemed to have a thing with her name now. Or was she just trying to pass a hidden message, so Narak wouldn't know anything about it? Kagome wasn't sure.

And now here they were, hanging over the deeps of hell on burning spider webs. Narak was having lots of fun, Kagome thought dejectedly.

-I don't get it! I can't understand any of it!-She exclaimed, getting really tired and annoyed with all of this. She'd end up getting crazy with so much stress.

-Now you'll go to hell!-Hitomiko smirked in her evil voice.

The fire surrounding Kagome started circling her, threatening to burn her to a crisp. She gasped in pain and tried to shield her face, but the heat was too intense.

Then another memory invaded her mind.

_/Flash Back\\\\\_

_-Hey Kagome! Let's play Kagome, Kagome!-A boy called her with a funny smirk. Little Kagome sighed in annoyance, but joined the group of kids to play._

_/Flash Back\\\\\_

-"I used to hate that game."-She thought, diving in the memories once again. She was about to give up hope of surviving this one, so why not remember those happy years of her childhood before going to the afterworld?-"Everyone always surrounded me."

_/Flash Back\\\\\ _

Kagome, Kagome,

_There they were. They were about eight kids, all of them about the same age of five years old. She was in the middle, covering her eyes, under the branches of the mighty Goshinboku, while her friends surrounded her, singing._

-You only aim and fire.-Hitomiko's voice sounded among the singing.

You're a bird in a cage.

-You're not even using the bow's spiritual power.

The egret and the turtle split and fell.

-Remember. Why is your name Kagome?

Who's behind you now?

_There was brief moment of utter silence. The kids almost held their breath. Little Kagome opened her mouth, and..._

_-Hide-chan.-She said with confidence._

_The kid behind her sighed in disappointment for losing._

_-How did you know?_

_-I just knew.-She stood and shrugged her little shoulder.-I can't do anything about it. YOUR TURN!_

_/Flash Back\\\\\ _

-"It was always a mystery for me too. No matter what, I always knew who was behind me."-Kagome's eyes shot open.-" Is that one of my powers?"-She turned and looked at Hitomiko.-"Who's behind me..."

The spider on the miko's chest glowed once, and then she saw Narak's face.

-"Narak!"-She closed her eyes again.-"I truly want to save Hitomiko-sama. Maybe if I combine my powers with the ones of this bow, I can do it."

The wooden pendant in the form of a drop started glowing against her chest. Then she saw the same symbol carved on the necklace glowing right over the spider on Hitomiko's chest.

-"That star... That's it! That's what Hitomiko-sama meant when she said my name!"

Uttering a prayer to the holy bow in her hands, she notched an arrow and aimed. She glanced at Hitomiko's eyes, and could swear she winked.

Kagome concentrated all the spiritual powers she had, offering half of it to the bow, which gave its own powers to the arrow and a part to her.

When she let the arrow fly, only Hitomiko saw as Kagome's eyes turned, for a split second, into a lighter blue shade, almost crystal. She smirked, and observed with interest as the arrow disappeared in thin air right before it could hit her heart. And she didn't need to look back to see the arrow reappearing at her back and striking the evil presence square on its face. Literally. Then again, she smirked.

Outside the temple, Inuyasha was still trying to break the barrier using the red Tessaiga. But nothing happened.

-"Damn it! Narak was after Kagome the whole time!"

All of a sudden, rays of white light shot from the temple.

-That is...-Inuyasha observed in awe.

The spider webs started dissolving on their own, falling emotionless around the group as the barrier faded.

-The webs are disappearing.-Sango noted.

-The barrier is gone too.-Miroku added.

-It must be Kagome!-Shippou gasped in fear.-Maybe Hitomiko killed her? Oh no!

-LET'S GO!-Inuyasha leaped towards the temple.

They sprinted through the verandas, looking for their miko friend, without success. Inuyasha was starting to panic. What if something happened? What if Kagome died?

But as they made a turn to the back of the temple, they saw Kagome sitting on the floor, holding Hitomiko's body.

-Kagome!-Shippou cried out in relief.

-Kagome! Are you alright?-Inuyasha asked, knelling beside her.

-Inuyasha...-She looked up at him, relieved. Then she looked back at Hitomiko.-I...

Miroku crouched in front of Kagome, analyzing Hitomiko's expression.

-She's dead...

-But... she has a serene expression on her face though...-Sango added.

They remained in silence. Inuyasha inspected Kagome for injuries. He found some, but they weren't too serious. She had some light cuts on her arms and a scratch across her cheek. But he was worried about the look she sustained. Her lost gaze on Hitomiko... she knew.

While they participated in the burial ceremony, Kagome replayed the last words Hitomiko told her, over and over again.

_Your name, your powers... You're a true mystery. You're a true star miko._

* * *

**Preview to Chapter VIII**

_-Kagome, I…-Inuyasha looked up at her.-I was just… trying to protect you. I was worried that you were not ready to hear such a strong truth._

_Kagome gently pushed his chest with her hand and looked up at his eyes._

_-Thanks, Inuyasha.-She smiled serenely.-But I've lived my entire life without knowing this truth.-She lowered her head.-Now it's time for me to find it out._


	8. VIII Forever By Your Side

**Gods, I'm slow in translating things. ._.**

**But it's finally here! :D**

**Forgotten Legend, Chapter VIII!**

/\\\

**Reply to Reviews**

**PrincessAnime08**

_She'll have a though experience discovering it. Good thing Inuyasha and the others are there for her. :D_

_Thanks for reviewing, PrincessAnime08. ^^_

**AngelNguyen1**

_Thanks. :D_

_I appreciate that you like them. I'll do my best to make them even better. :)_

**KikyoWillDieByMyHands**

_Yeah, there are lots of surprises along the story. Kagome will have a though path to follow._

**glon morski**

_Oops. Sorry about that. Mistake fixed. :D_

_It's the damn Brazilian translation. They translate it all wrong, and I ended up used to it. D: Inuyasha's sword is a complete mess. I'll have a tough time trying to fix that one too._

_But thanks for pointing it out. I'll try to avoid this mistake. Sorry if it appears again though._

_Oh, and you can repeat yourself if you want, really. I like it when you guys say what you think about my story. :D_

/\\\

**That's it, people!**

**University Tests: Second Round! FIGHT!**

**DING****

**...**

**Oh wait...**

***Ahem!***

**On with the story!**

* * *

**Chapter VIII – Forever by your side**

-Again, I would like to thank you all for saving Hitomiko-sama's soul.-The village headman said as he tried as best as he could to contain his tears.

The people that had reunited to watch Hitomiko's burial ceremony were starting to leave the temple grounds. It was almost noon.

-There's no need to thank us, my good man. We just did what was right.-Miroku replied with a small smile of condolences.

-But still, I'd like to welcome you all in my home for as long as you need it. You all need to rest after fighting such a powerful demon.

-Thank you, sir.

The group started following the headman, but Inuyasha didn't move. Sango turned to ask what was wrong.

-Inuyasha?

The hanyou looked at the demon slayer, then turned around. Sango noticed that Kagome was slowly walking the other way, her head down.

-I'll check on her and we'll head back later.-Inuyasha said before walking after the girl.

-Ok, but be careful. It's not a good moment to be wandering around.

Inuyasha kept that in mind. The group's conversation became farther and farther, till his keen ears couldn't catch a single murmur from them anymore. But his golden eyes didn't let go of the distressed young human walking in front of him. He let her have her privacy, keeping a safe distance between them as they walked. He was pretty sure that Kagome knew he was there, and hoped that she didn't misinterpret his intentions. He didn't want her to think that he was there to force her to accept this whole new reality, neither to drag her back when she needed some time by herself. He was only there to make sure she was safe, to make sure she'd have company to talk to if she wanted, a pair of arms to hold her close if she felt lonely, and a friendly shoulder for her to cry on if needed.

Kagome stopped near the bench where they had been talking yesterday and sat, sighing tiredly. The long and red bow dropped from her hands and fell with a soft muffled sound on the grassed ground. She made no effort to pick it up as her hands were open upwards, and she gazed at each line marked on her palms with a lost and exhausted gaze.

Inuyasha fought to not go there and comfort her. Not yet. He watched as she held the wooden amulet that rested against her chest and analyzed it carefully. Acknowledge shone in her eyes upon the sight of the star signal of the amulet. He was sure now. She knew that she wasn't any ordinary priestess. She knew that there was something wrong with her powers. But he couldn't help but wonder how much did she know?

As Kagome took the necklace from her neck and held it tightly between her hands and lowered her head till her hair hid her unshed tears, Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore, and approached the young miko quietly.

Lost in thoughts, the girl didn't notice the half demon approaching, but wasn't startled when he kneeled in front of her and touched her fisted hands with his own. Neither looked up at each other, only observing their joined hands with the amulet between them.

-You did what you could...-He said after a few minutes of silence.-You know you saved her.

Kagome sighed.

-I still feel like it wasn't enough... I wasn't strong enough. She died... just like Kikyou did...-Kagome closed her eyes tightly, letting a few tears escape.-I'm sorry, Inuyasha...-She sobbed.-I'm so sorry...

Inuyasha gently squeezed her hands, and felt his heart breaking at the sight of his distressed miko's tears cutting her cheeks like blades of sorrow. He patiently waited till she calmed down a bit.

-Kagome... you don't need to apologize. If it weren't for you, Kikyou and Hitomiko would be burning in hell. Unfortunately, they both were going to die. But you saved their souls. You prevented them from having a destiny worse than death.

Kagome looked up with her eyes still filled with tears. Gently, he wiped them away.

-I don't like to see you crying, Kagome... But you taught me that crying sometimes makes you feel better. You taught me that crying doesn't make you weak.-Inuyasha looked down at her hands.-Do you wanna cry?

-Can I...-She felt like déjà vu, from the beginning of their adventure, when he asked her to lay on her lap when he was sick and poisoned.-Can I cry on your shoulder?

Inuyasha didn't answer. He took the amulet from her hand, sat beside her on the beach, and pulled her on a half hug. She murmured a weak 'thank you', and leaned against his shoulder, hiding her face on his haori. And Inuyasha let her soak his shoulder in her distress. He didn't say a thing. He just patted her back and let her relieve herself of all her pains. He nuzzled her hair, trying to comfort her.

The time passed slowly. Neither of them knew if they had been there for hours or maybe a few minutes, but Kagome eventually calmed down. She didn't withdraw though, calmly leaning against Inuyasha's chest and staring at the ground with a lost gaze, his comforting hand caressing her charcoal black hair, while he tucked her head under his chin.

-Are you ok?-The hanyou broke the silence with a whisper, withdrawing his head a little, just to take a look at the miko's expression.-Feeling any better?

-Yeah. Thank you so much, Inuyasha.

They kept looking at each other in another moment of utter silence, only the singing birds and an occasional breeze breaking the quiet morning.

-Kagome...-Inuyasha looked down and sighed. Then he looked at her again.-We need to talk.

-Yeah...-She lowered her eyes.-I know...

-I need to know, Kagome.-His grip on her tightened.-What happened in there? Did Hitomiko... no... did Naraku hurt you?

-No...-Kagome looked at the village view they had from there.-Not badly. But he... I don't know if it was a vision, or not. But he took us to hell. There were... corpses and fire, and...

-It's over now, Kagome.-He tapped her shoulder gently in a calming manner.-You're safe now.

Kagome nodded and continued.

-She... wanted to know about my name. She told me that it has a great power to it.

-"She knows..." Kagome...-Inuyasha looked at the village too.-Hitomiko told us...

-...that I'm a star miko.-Kagome finished, closing her eyes.-These were her last words to me.

A cool breeze blew on their hair and clothes.

-Kagome, I…-Inuyasha looked up at her.-I was just… trying to protect you.

Kagome gently pushed his chest with her hand and looked up at his eyes, and smiled calmly.

-I know.-She stood and walked towards a tree a few steps from the stone bench.-You always do everything you can to protect me.

-I'd do the impossible to protect you, Kagome.-He completed.-I was just worried that you were not ready to hear such a strong truth.

-Thanks, Inuyasha.-She looked at him with a smile.-But I've lived my entire life without knowing this truth.-She lowered her head.-Now it's time for me to find it out.

Inuyasha observed her in silence for a few seconds, then nodded.

-Very well.

Kagome turned again, facing the tree.

-When I was a kid, we used to play this game: Kagome, Kagome. I told you about it, didn't I?

-Yes. You said that you used to hate that game, because they would always surround you.-Inuyasha commented, following the priestess with his eyes.

-Yes. But...-She touched the tree bark and looked up at the foliages. She remembered the mighty Goshinboku, far away from here.-Every time we played... I could always guess who was behind me. I never lost.

Inuyasha arched his brows. Did this have something to do with her powers?

-Before she died, Hitomiko told me. Star mikos have unique skills. She told me that I might be able to sense and identify others' presence around me as an effect from one of my powers. That's how I defeated Naraku, combining my powers with the powers of the bow of Mout Azusa.-Kagome slid her hand through the bark and looked down.-And I think... that's also the reason why I could always guess who was behind me in that game.

Inuyasha stood and walked towards Kagome. He noticed that she sensed his approach, and turned around to meet his gaze.

-When I was there, I also remembered some things from my past.-She commented.-My mother once told me that I was named after a star that appeared on my chest when I was born.

Inuyasha nodded.

-She told us that star was the mark of star mikos. She told us that your powers had been sealed ever since you were born.-Inuyasha walked to Kagome's side.-I'm not sure, Kagome, but I think that when... when Kikyou died, and when part of her soul went back to you, it strengthened your powers and weakened that seal.

-But why was I hurting then?

-Because you're not used to those powers. That's why she had to seal your powers...-His gaze fell on the amulet he has holding.-...again.

Kagome looked at the amulet, and closed her eyes when Inuyasha approached her to place it back around her neck. When the strings settled against her neck, and the weight of the wooden amulet fell on her chest, they both looked at it.

-Do you think... that Kikyou is the one who sealed my powers?

-I don't know.-Inuyasha shook his head.-Maybe Kaede can give us an answer. But for now... you need to rest.

Kagome nodded and looked once again at the village.

-Ready to go?-Inuyasha asked.

-Yeah.-She nodded and turned to him, with a gently smile.-Thanks Inuyasha. For... everything.

-Keh.-Her blushed beet red.-Don't mention it. I only do it because I want to.

-Yeah, yeah.-The girl giggled and grabbed his hand.-Come on, let's go! Last one there is a wet dog!

-WHAT?

Kagome laughed freely and sprinted towards the village. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and ran after her. But he couldn't keep the smile out of his face, and neither use his demonic agility as an advantage. For now... he just wanted to enjoy. So he let her ran ahead of him, laughing like a child.

It doesn't matter, she could make fun of him all night if she wanted, calling him the 'wet dog' or whatever she wanted. Because no matter how many races he'd let her win, he'd get the more valuable prize: her smile.

He chuckled. It was so good to have Kagome with him. He just prayed that he could have her by his side like this forever.

* * *

**AAAAARGH! I WANT MY VACATIONS! D:**

**Preview to Chapter IX**

_Flash Back _

_(...)_

_The small flea's thoughts were interrupted when the daiyokai stopped all of a sudden, by the edge of a clearing in special._

_-Oyakata-sama?-Myouga looked up, but his master's gaze was fixed forward. The small vassal followed his gaze, and gasped._

_In the middle of that clearing there was a female human dressed in light green and white clothes, laying on a pool of her own blood, and surrounded by a mystical dust of pinkish light. Sprouting from the blood all over the clearing, beautiful crimson flowers bloomed and formed the most secret of the gardens._

_(...)_

_Flash Back _

**Ps.: Crap! I still need a title for the next chapter. D:**

**Ps2.: No, it's not Play Station 2. And... I forgot what I was supposed to write here. .-.**

**Ps3.: It's not Play Station 3 either. And... oh yeah. I need to write more chapters. TT**

**Anyway... REVIEW, PLEEEEEEASE! :D**


	9. IX Memories of a Forgotten Past

**Ok, guys. So here I am with another chapter of Forgotten Legend. :D**

**I made a vow to myself that I would upload a chapter before travelling, so here it is! XD**

**Oh, and before we start with the Reply to Reviews, last chapter I wrote something that was misunderstood. I was complaining about myself being slow at translating stuff, and I'm afraid that some of you might have gotten the idea that I'm translating someone else's story. So just to clear the mess:**

**I'm translating this story to Portuguese, so I can upload it on another site for my Brazilian folks. :) But I wrote the original version (in English) too, so the story is of my authority.**

**But truth be told: I AM slow at translating stuff. XDDD**

**And I'm not so fond of doing so either, but... Anyway.**

* * *

**Reply to Reviews**

**PrincessAnime08**

_A part of it, yes. There's a lot of secrets they'll soon discover._

_Thanks for reading and for your review. They are very important. :D _

**glon morski**

_Well, I checked the chapter before uploading and I guess (and hope) that the names are all written right this time. XD_

_And thanks for the review. :D_

**KikyouWillDieByMyHands**

_Thanks! :D_

_And sorry if it took so long. D:_

**Kagomethebeautifulmiko**

_Nah, that's ok. :D_

_Indeed, Inuyasha's been very sweet with Kagome. What a lucky girl, eh?_

_Thank you! I'm having lots of fun writing this story! :D_

_And thanks for the review too. It's very very very important. ;)_

* * *

**Oh, this time I've got THREE soundtracks for this chapter. Nice, huh? :D**

**(Okami – Kamiki's Sorrowful Fate)**

**.com/watch?v=I-ohgIpLSI8**

**(Okami – Princess Sakuya's Theme)**

**.com/watch?v=EMsxrFnppuo**

**(Ico - Colapse)**

**.com/watch?v=YYE2xYC_Go4**

* * *

**On with the story!**

* * *

**Chapter IX – Memories of a Forgotten Past**

(Background music: Okami – Kamiki's sorrowful fate)

_The forest was dead silent in the darkness of the night. Not even the crickets dared do sing, nor the breeze dared to blow. The sun refused to raise from the distant horizon, and the moon, sole witness to the pain of a lonely dying miko, quietly cried a rain of tears made from the purest mystical light of silver._

_The tree branches bowed mournfully at the passing of the wounded priestess, whose pace was slow but steady despite the pain and exhaustion. On each drop of her blood that fell to the soil, bloomed the most rare and beautiful of the flowers, many of them colored in crimson red._

_Hair as golden as the morning sun, tainted in blood, shone with an eerie dust of pink light that trailed after her like the tail of a comet. Green eyes, once known for holding the very essence of life, young but yet so wise that even the most experienced of the elders couldn't ever comprehend. Now they held emotions that had never been seen on them before..._

_Sad... defeated... but still hopeful and determined. For she might have lost the battle, but not the war._

_-You're doing your part well, Inu no Taisho.-She muttered, her lips perking up in a soft smile.-Now I shall complete mine._

_Tiredly, she stopped in the middle of a clearing, and her smile grew. Green eyes looked up at the dark starry night, calm and conformed._

_-May our efforts bless and protect you always,... Higurashi Kagome._

/\\\\\

Kagome's eyes snapped open. After a while, she raised her head a bit to locate herself in the camp. She was lying on her belly in her sleeping bag, near the fire, with her arms crossed under her head. Shippou was lying next to her, leaning his back against her side.

Sango was nested against Kirara's transformed body, and Miroku was leaning against a tree not too far from her.

And she could sense Inuyasha up in a tree, hovering over her. Ever since they left Hitomiko's village, he's been keeping a close watch on her, maybe because of fear that Naraku was after her now that Kikyou was dead. Or maybe because he was just a bit edgy after everything that had been happening.

This was their second night after leaving Hitomiko's village, and everything seemed peaceful till then.

But not in Kagome's dreams.

Sighing, the miko carefully raised from her sleeping bag, not wanting to wake up the others, especially Shippou. However, Inuyasha was already awake even before she was startled awake by her dream, and keeping a close watch on her.

She feed the fire some firewood and sat next to it to get a bit warmer. It wasn't a cold night, but the breeze was a bit cool.

-Are you alright, Kagome?

She smiled and looked back. Inuyasha had silently hopped down from the tree and was watching her carefully, his eyes and hair glowing with the fire light and the moon light bathing them.

Something about that image soothed Kagome's soul. She just loved how his hair gave him a mysterious touch when highlighted by the moonlight, how his eyes got even more beautiful under the fire light, and how his voice got a bit husky when he whispered. He was so beautiful.

-It's alright, Inuyasha. I just woke up with this dream again.-She offered him a soft smile. He sighed.

-It's the second time, Kagome. You woke up from a dream last night too.

-I know, but it's not the same.-Kagome assured him.-I'm sure it's nothing.

-If it's nothing, why do you get up and sit next to the fire? Why don't you try to sleep again?-The half demon sat next to her and crossed his arms inside the sleeves.

-Because...-She looked at the fire.-...they are weird dreams. I might be wrong, but... sometimes she says my name in the dreams.

-Who?-The hanyou arched his brows.

-The woman in my dreams.-She clarified, looking up at him.-She also said... something about your father... Inu no Taisho.-Kagome paused and looked to the ground, trying to pull back the memories of her recent dream.-She said... that he's doing his part well. And that she will do hers as well.

-Do you think... this woman you're talking about... might be my mother?-Inuyasha lowered his head, but watched her through his bangs.

Kagome shook her head no.

-I don't think so. Your mother was dark haired, and this woman... is blonde.

-Do you think these dreams of yours are related to... star mikos?

-I'm not sure, but... maybe they are.

-Kagome...

She looked up at him, signalizing she heard him.

-Last night you seemed more disturbed than today. Were your dreams worse?

-Not exactly. They were just... weirder.-She narrowed her eyes as she tried to remember that dream.

_/Dream\\\\\ _

(Background music: Okami – Princess Sakuya's Theme)

_His golden eyes were trained on the village below as the breeze blew on his long silver hair. The activity of this village wasn't different from other human villages he had seen before. But there was something about this little town that got his interest. A particular female human. One that awoke his curiosity about these fragile and strange creatures._

_His gaze accompanied the strange courting ritual of two young humans. A compliment from one part, a change of colors on the other, mostly to a light pink. That female had turned beet red earlier when the male gave her a flower. He didn't really get it. _

_-I see you're really interested in human's behavior._

_The mighty dog demon turned to the blonde haired priestess walking her way up hill, carrying a wooden staff with a golden five pointed star and three branches of herbs on the top. She also had three small cherry blossoms behind her ear, with a tiny green leaf each. She wore a light_ _green and white kimono with delicate dark green vine patterns on the hakama._

_-Humans are strange creatures.-He commented, looking back to the village. The yokai's voice was strong and pulsed with wisdom and respect.-It's even stranger to hear you saying that my destiny is intertwined with one._

_The miko chuckled to herself._

_-You'll understand what I mean in the right time.-She turned towards a tree and caressed its trunk as if it could feel her caress.-So you've been waiting for me the entire night, huh? Your mate won't be very happy about it._

_The yokai looked back at her, his brow arched in confusion._

_-How do you know?_

_She chuckled again._

_-The forest told me.-She said as if it was a common thing to say. Turning, she smiled and held her staff with her other hand.-And I could sense your presence farther than you think I could. I'm a miko, remember?_

_-That's why I can't understand why you're not attacking me. As a miko, you should purify me to my very bones at first sight, shouldn't you?_

_The blonde miko's gaze got more serious as she looked at the daiyokai._

_-Do not interpret me as any ordinary human, Inu no Taisho. Much less a common miko.-She sat beside him, keeping her staff close at her side her, and looked up at the vast clear sky.-I am the Hana no Miko Hannari, the second star miko._

_Inu no Taisho wasn't familiar with that term, but he could understand that whatever it meant, wasn't something trivial. The priestess beside him seemed to understand his doubts, and soon explained._

_-Each star miko is born as a tool of destiny, a guardian of the mortal land, a glimpse of hope in a time of chaos. Each one of us has the power to control a unique element. I can control the nature of flora, and I can see the future of those around me, as well as my own. I am here because it is my destiny to put an end to a millennial curse, which exist since the time of my antecessor, the mighty priestess Midoriko.-Hannari paused for Inu no Taisho to take the information in.-You'll have a son, Inu no Taisho, and he will be of decisive importance to the future of the next star miko after me. You must be very wise on your choices, for many of them will have consequences in a future beyond your time._

_Inu no Taisho was surprised, but hid it as he looked at the human._

_-My son?_

_-Remember when I told you your fate was intertwined with a human?_

_-So you mean a half demon?-Inu no Taisho arched his brows again.-I doubt that. I don't have THAT much of interest in humans, miko._

_Her lips creased in a sly smile._

_-Yokai or not, one can't control their heart. You'll see it.-Hannari stood and dusted her hakama to get rid of any dirt. Then she turned and walked back to the village. But before, she turned and looked once again at the dayokai.-And Inu no Taisho?_

_He looked up._

_-The sword from heaven shall revive those whose lives were taken, and the sword of the mortal land shall only kill to protect the innocents.-Hannari's emerald green eyes shone with wisdom.-A sword that doesn't cut is the key to soothe the roaring heart of a killer, and a killing blade is the only way to bring back the lost human heart consumed by the soul of an uncontrollable demon. Shall your decisions be made wisely, for only then your bloodline will be saved, and only together the sword sisters can eternally banish the mighty blade forged in the depths of hell._

_The silence fell between the yokai and the miko. They stared at each other in that same silence for several minutes. Inu no Taisho felt that he shouldn't doubt this human words. Especially now that he noticed that her hair started glowing with a bright pink dust of pure light, floating from her golden hair and fading away before reaching the ground. No human nor yokai had this characteristic, nor this powerful aura. Ordinary humans also couldn't have so much wisdom in such a young age. Then again, she told him to not interpret her as any human or miko._

_Hannari seemed to notice that he respected her words, and smiled satisfied._

_-Keep my word close to your memory, Inu no Taisho, and my prediction close to your heart. It's ok to be confused now, but in the right time you'll understand it all.-Hannari turned once again and left, leaving behind the daiyokai to replay her words over and over again in his mind. As he looked up at her retreating form, he saw as she stopped in front of a dead tree, looking at it with sadness. Then she approached and touched it caringly. Rejuvenated by her touch and powers, the tree perked up with green leaves and white flowers blooming, which blossoms floated in the breeze and gently touched the miko in some kind of gratitude. Hannari smiled, and Inu no Taisho picked her whisper of 'you're welcome'._

_/Dream\\\\\_

The pair stared at the fire in a moment of silence as they tried to understand the meanings of those dreams.

-These dreams...-Inuyasha started.-...maybe they aren't just dreams.

-What do you mean?-Kagome looked up at him.

-Maybe they are memories. Not your memories, but the memories of your antecessor.

Kagome looked down, trying to understand what he was saying.

-Think about it, Kagome. Hitomiko told us that star mikos have some kind of connection with each other. Maybe your antecessor is trying to tell us something.

-Yeah, maybe.-The young priestess admitted.-But we can't assume that she really knew your father. It might be just my imagination.

-We can ask Myouga-jii. If my father did met your ancestor, Myouga knows about it.

-And if it's really true, then it was Hannari who predicted Souunga's banishment and the need to forge the Tetsusaiga and Tesseiga, not your father.

-And it might be also because of her prophesy that I inherited Tetsusaiga, and Sesshoumaru the Tenseiga.-Inuyasha pulled the sword and its sheath from his side, and observed carefully each detail of the weapon.-Somehow, she knew all along.

-She had that power all along.-Kagome nodded, also staring at the sword.-She knew that you'd need this sword more than your brother, and that Sesshoumaru would need to learn a few things from a sword that can't kill.

Inuyasha chuckled.

-Humph. It's odd to think that some things are like they are now because of a woman that knew so much from a time beyond her own.

They looked at each other, losing themselves on the depth of each other's gaze. Then all of a sudden, Kagome gasped lightly and slapped her neck.

-Huh?-Inuyasha observed as she brought her open palm between them.

-Myouga-jii-chan?-The miko arched her brows.

-Just in time, you old flea. We were talking about seeing you.-The half demon smirked.

-Greeting, Inuyasha-sama, Kagome.-The little yokai greeted them as he puffed himself up to normal and jumped on the hanyou's shoulder.-I was passing by when I heard you saying my name. How can I be useful for you?

-Myouga-jii-chan, do you know anything about Inu no Taisho knowing a woman called Hannari?-Kagome asked anxiously.

-Hannari?-The demon repeated, trying to recall old memories.-Oyakata-sama wasn't aggressive to common humans, unless if necessary. But I can't recall memories of him being as gentle and caring towards a human as he was to Izayoi-sama.

-We're not talking about being close friends, Myouga-jii. We just need to know if he somehow knew this human.

-Hum...-Myouga crossed his tiny arms and closed his eyes, trying to search his memories.-Wait. I remember something.

_/Flash Back\\\\\ _

(Background music: Ico – Collapse)

_-Oyakata-sama, we're already beyond the western lands. Where are we going?-Myouga asked, confused as he looked around the forest._

_This was supposed to be just another patrolling of the western lands, but they had already passed the limits of the daiyokai lands several hours ago. Being a daiyokai, they were already really far from the territory._

_But Inu no Taisho didn't give him any credit, and kept walking peculiarly determined. Myouga crossed his arms in defeat. It wasn't the first time he was ignored, and wouldn't be the last. He was pretty sure of it._

_The small flea's thoughts were interrupted when the daiyokai stopped all of a sudden, by the edge of a clearing in special._

_-Oyakata-sama?-Myouga looked up, but his master's gaze was fixed forward. The small vassal followed his gaze, and gasped._

_In the middle of that clearing there was a female human dressed in light green and white clothes, laying on a pool of her own blood, and surrounded by a mystical dust of pinkish light. Sprouting from the blood all over the clearing, beautiful crimson flowers bloomed and formed the most secret of the gardens._

_Her body was covered in deep gashes, one of them fatally piercing her chest, missing her heart by mere inches. Blood leaked from her lips._

_The priestess seemed to acknowledge their presence, and she raised her head to look at them, trying to smile._

_-I didn't know that your lands extended this far, Inu no Taysho.-But something in her voice told otherwise. She knew very well where the borders of his lands were._

_The daiyokai was silent as he approached, eyeing her fatal wounds. He knelled, his gaze, secretly sad, reaching her eyes._

_-What happened?_

_She closed her eyes and sighed._

_-Something that even you couldn't stop from happening.-She opened her eyes and looked up at him.-But you don't need to worry or feel sad. I had been waiting for this day. I knew all along._

_Myouga kept himself quiet, and observed as his master reached for the human, pulling her to his arms. He stood and started walking to a different direction, away from the clearing, never minding the blood soaking his elegant clothes._

_The walk to the closest village was silent. Hannari took the time and attempted to relax, trying to soothe the pain and enjoy the fact that there was no more suffering. Her mission was almost done. But she couldn't finish it alone. She was thankful that Inu no Taisho appeared to help her._

_When he reached the borders of the village, she touched his chest to make him stop._

_-You can leave me here now. I can walk the rest of the way._

_-You're too injured._

_-Injured or not, I'll die here anyway.-She smiled weakly, resigned.-I just need a little more time to finish my duty._

_Inu no Taisho observed her in silence._

_-I already told you: no need to be sad. I'm your friend, and I'm resigned to my fate, but you will find someone that you would willingly die to keep safe. Be patient, and all will come in time._

_The daiyokai nodded solemnly, and knelled to let her go._

_She stood with some trouble and struggled to walk towards the village, but stopped and turned to him with a serious expression._

_-Keep my word close to your memory, Inu no Taisho, and my prediction close to your heart. It's ok to be confused now, but in the right time you'll understand it all. You don't need to remember me, but promise me that you'll never forget what I told you._

_Inu no Taisho stared at her, and a ghost of a sad smile appeared on his lips._

_-I'll never forget. Neither you nor your words... Hana no miko, Hannari._

_She smiled back, and turned to keep walking to the village._

_Inu no Taisho stood there for a few more minutes, before taking a few steps backwards to the shadows of the trees. He wasn't leaving though. Not yet._

_Myouga was still observing his master's actions. His face was emotionless, but his eyes betrayed him, as one that is preparing for a grave event._

_/Flash Back\\\\\_

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**Preview to Chapter X**

_-"From the death a star miko... to the birth of another."-Inuyasha thought.-"But if only a star miko can completely purify the Shikon... then why Hannari didn't?"_

**REVIEWWWWWS! PLEEEEASE! :DDDD**


	10. X Home

**Yay, chapter 10 of Forgotten Legend! :D**

**Sorry it took so long. D:**

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**Reply to Reviews**

**PrincessAnime08****  
**_Thank you. I enjoyed writing this chapter so much! *_*_

_And I enjoyed your review too. ^^_

**Silkrose**

_Oh, it's ok. My computer gets on my nerves sometimes too. Thanks for reading my story and reviewing it. Means a lot to me. *_*_

_And... oops, that one slipped. I forgot about the play station 1. XD But it's not that either. :P_

**KikyoWillDieByMyHands**

_Thanks! =D_

**kolrussiakol****  
**

_First review:_

_Thanks. =D_

_I like to twist some parts of original stories sometimes. I've been thinking about writing a bunch of oneshots about a few ways I imagined the anime to end. Still only planning on that though. ;)_

_Second review:_

_You'__re welcome. :D_

_If you're confused about anything, you can ask me, and I'll gladly explain. ;)_

_Third review:_

_Thanks again. :D_

_And thanks so much for the reviews. ^^_

**glon morski****  
**_Yeah, they are quite nice, aren't they? :D_

_I like to listen to these kinds of songs while writing. I get more... involved and inspired, you know? Oh, and I've read your __Advice hoarding. Tthis tip about hearing a suitable song was there, wasn't it? :D_

_I'm so happy that you liked the chapter. I can tell you that there is some more of this kind of chapter to come. ;) Guess you'll like it, since you liked this one. ^^_

_And... oops, another mistake. I even watched some episodes of Inuyasha just to get that suffix, and yet I got it wrong. :c But thanks for pointing that out. :D_

_Thanks for the review too._

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**On with the story!**

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**Chapter X – Home**

The sky was clear and the birds chirped enthusiastically, with a gentle breeze blowing on the grass. It was a beautiful, perfect day. Inuyasha and his group resumed their trip earlier that day, even before the sun had risen from the horizon, and they had been travelling the entire morning. Their lunch was basically some of Kagome's last 'ninja food' as they used to call it, and some fruits they found along the way. They never stopped walking though, since they were already so close to the village. And about two hours after midday, they spotted the first signs of civilization, the blooming croups of the village.

-We're home!-Shippou shouted enthusiastic as he leaped from Miroku's shoulder and took off on the road, aiming the view of the first huts of the village.

-Home…-Kagome closed her eyes and sighed with a smile.-Feels so nice to hear this word.

-Yeah.-Sango agreed.-Whenever we are here, we get this felling of being home.

-A place to go back to.-Miroku commented.-All of us feel like this, am I right?

-Yes.-They nodded.

-"A place to come back to…"-Inuyasha looked up at the vast blue sky and smiled. He liked the sounds of those words. This particular feeling he felt whenever he was with his friends,… his family,… his pack. Especially in this village. When was the last time he felt like he belonged? When he had a place to come back to when he just wanted to stop and rest? When he just wanted to sit on a high branch and watch his pack's stupid antics, knowing that they were exactly where they were supposed to be? It was just… hard to explain how good it felt.

And it was just as hard to explain how good it felt when he felt Kagome get closer to him and shyly brush his hand with her own, getting his attention and presenting him with that small pure smile that was all hers, and that she only gave it to him. It was… something only they shared. It was… special for them.

He smiled a little at her and took her small hand in his bigger one, giving it a light squeeze before letting go. Silently, but clearly satisfied, she walked ahead of them, eager to see Kaede.

Then Inuyasha remembered that he had to tell the old miko about what happened… again. Tell her that Kikyou… was gone… for good.

The closer they got to their destination, the slower Inuyasha walked. The others wanted to ask, but thinking a little about it, they decided to just walk ahead and leave him be. Somehow they knew he wanted sometime for himself before facing Kaede.

Kagome looked back at him from over her shoulder, questioning herself if she should be there with him to deliver the bad news or not. She wanted to be by his side in good moments and bad moments as well, but this situation was already too complicated for her to suit in, whether she wanted to or not.

/\\\\\

Since Shippou had already announced their presence basically to the entire village, the group entered Kaede's hut and found the old miko sitting near the currently unused fire place, ready to receive them.

After they greeted each other, Sango and Miroku went to see the villagers, and Shippou and Kirara went to play with the others kids. Kagome looked at Inuyasha, unsure of what to do. She hadn't decided which decision she should take yet, so she decided to ask the hanyou, even if she knew what he would answer.

-Do you… want me to stay with you? Need any help?-She asked in a low tone near him, making sure that Kaede didn't hear. Inuyasha easily heard her though.

-I'd like to do it alone, Kagome. It's my responsibility to tell her about what happened. And I need to speak with Kaede anyway.-Inuyasha answered in the same low tone.-Looks like we're staying here for some time. You can go visit your family if you'd like.

-I… can?-She arched her brows in confusion. She was really questioning Inuyasha's sanity these days.

-Sure, go ahead. I'll bring you back if you're late.

-"Took you long enough, dog boy…"-She rolled her eyes and smiled playfully.-I'll borrow some clothes with Kaede and take a bath in the river. Gotta wash these too.-She looked at her own clothes.-I'll visit my family some other time.

Inuyasha watched as Kagome went to ask Kaede those clothes she wanted to borrow. He then realized that the young miko just wanted to make sure she'd be there… if he needed. He smiled in gratitude when she turned to leave the hut.

-You're welcome.-Her lips mimicked the answer without emitting a sound before she left.

He observed her till she left, before turning to Kaede. The old woman nodded to him, as if she already knew. Sighing, he sat down across from her. He needed to tell her all the same, even if she already knew.

/\\\\\

Kagome walked to the forest and away from the village faster than she intended, before she slowed down to a calm pace. Birds of many colors and species sang happily on the branches above her, making her smile in peace. It was all so calm and beautiful and perfect…

-"A perfectly peaceful day… it's not really common these days, isn't it?"-She thought to herself as she smiled to herself and looked up at the passing clouds high in the sky. It felt almost like yesterday, the day she came here for the very first time. A girl who was born and raised in modern Tokyo… thrown in the wild nature of the Feudal Japan. And now… it felt so… right. She didn't feel out of place here anymore. But she was almost scared to realize that she felt out placed in her own time of origin. She truly didn't know where she belonged anymore. For how long would she be able to keep on living two lives? Was it right to live two lives?

-What am I thinking?-Kagome let herself fall softly on the ground. The clothes she brought fell beside her, and the grass caressed her body as she rolled on her back, feeling suddenly lazy like a cat. Sighing deeply and holding her breath to 'work out' her lungs, Kagome felt her senses sharpen as far as her human nature could allow. A stupid attempt, Inuyasha would say, but she didn't care. After all, someone who has to fight demons 24-7, dealing with sealed powers she never heard about till now, collecting shards of a small pink marble ball, and keeping all of this a secret from her time while keeping her grades from sinking like a rock in a river… she deserved some rest, didn't she?

-The question is…-She sighed as she rolled on her belly, pulling the pendant from under her shirt and looking tiredly at it.-…for how long will it last?

And as a response to her question… well… nothing happened. What a relief!

Chirping, a small bird perched itself high on the branches of a tree near Kagome, watching curiously the human laying beneath it. A small leaf fell from the tree and softly landed on the wooden pendant Kagome had been gazing at.

She looked from the leaf to the tree, then back at the leaf. She blew the leaf away, facing once again the eight-pointed star pattern carved on the wood.

She rolled her eyes.

-Now THIS is stupid.

Standing, she picked up her clothes and resumed her walk to the river. Yup, taking a bath and changing into clean clothes would work better than staying there in the middle of the forest staring at that necklace as if it would answer all of her doubts.

-Or maybe I am the one being stupid…-She glared at a rock that she dodged before she could trip on it. Another sighed left her lips.-I'm a lost case, that's what.

She left the innocent rock alone and continued on her way to the river.

/\\\\\

-I see.-Kaede sighed sadly.-So my sister Kikyou...

Inuyasha kept his eyes on the wooden floor. He had been explaining to Kaede what had happened for the last few days. He didn't mention Kagome's situation... yet. Informing Kaede about her sister's pass away seemed more important now.

-I'm sorry I couldn't save her.

The old priestess looked at him with sympathy.

-Inuyasha, you've been through a lot too. And besides, there was no other way. The only way to free my sister's soul from all this torment was to truly free her soul from that false body. Death... was all that was left for her when Urasue brought her back from the soul of Kagome. And now, at last, my sister is now free from the agony she had been suffering.

Inuyasha looked at the old priestess, not so sure, but nodded.

-Yes… maybe you're right.

Kaede smiled reassuringly at him. But then her eyes were filled with uncertainty again as she looked down in deep thoughts.

-But the problem is: what to do now? Kagome will have to take my sister's place as a priestess and guardian of the Shikon no Tama.

Inuyasha's ears perked, and he felt his heart twist painfully. Taking Kikyou's place... it meant that Kagome would suffer endless pain just like Kikyou did. He just couldn't stand that. He just couldn't let that happen.

-Does she... have to?

Kaede sadly nodded.

-Kikyou entrusted Kagome to finish what she started. If she doesn't... the consequences will be terrible, and my sister's sacrifice will be in vain. All will be lost.

-Kaede...-Inuyasha looked at the old priestess with genuine determination.-If Kagome has to suffer like Kikyou did... I prefer to risk everything to keep her safe. I will not let Kagome suffer.

-I understand you, Inuyasha.-Kaede nodded.-But we have no choice.

-No, Kaede.-Inuyasha shook his head.-You don't understand. If Kagome needs to take Kikyou's place, she will be in serious danger. Kagome... was born a star miko.

The silence filled the hut. Kaede stared at the hanyou, almost in a daze.

-Star miko, you say?

-Yes.-Inuyasha confirmed.-That's what the priestess Hitomiko told us.

Kaede sighed.

-Tell me what happened, Inuyasha.

And so did the hanyou. He told everything about what happened, the incident with Kaou, the strange fever and weakness prior to that fight, the battle against the dead bull yokai, and everything that happened when they met Hitomiko.

-I see...

-You know anything about it, Kaede? The star mikos?

-I'm afraid I know very little about them.-Her wise brown eyes returned to the open square in the middle of her hut, where she used to prepare the fire.-Very few are the ones who are lucky to know anything about these mikos. I once heard that once a star miko dies, the next star miko is born a thousand years later.

-Kagome told me last night... that she had a dream about the last star miko, Hannari, and my father. She told me that her antecessor had the power of prediction. In her dreams, Hannari knew my father and told him about me and the Tessaiga and Tenseiga, even before he knew my mother. Do you... think it could be possible?

Kaede was in silence for a few seconds before answering.

-The powers of the star mikos are unpredictable, Inuyasha. They might be the only human beings that can make the impossible possible.-The old priestess looked up at him.-Do not doubt them.

Inuyasha went silent while the information sank in.

-As I said, a star miko is born a thousand years after the death of the last one. Kagome is from five hundred years in the future, so it means that her antecessor, Hannari, lived five hundred years ago. You think it could be possible for her to have met you father in the same circumstances as Kagome's dream?

Inuyasha thought a little about it. His father died when he was born, about two hundred years ago. Myouga once told him that Sesshoumaru was about five hundred years old. So it was, indeed, possible for Hannari to have been the first human his father met. And also, she might be truly the one who predicted his birth and the banishment of Souunga by the sword sisters Tessaiga and Tenseiga.

-Yes.-He answered Kaede.-Maybe she did meet my father, and also made predictions for him about me and the swords.

Another period of silence fell upon them.

-Inuyasha, you mentioned that Kagome's powers were sealed since she was born. You think that my sister have something to do with it, don't you?

-Apparently, that's what Kagome thinks.

-I don't think so. Kikyou trusted Kagome with everything left. Otherwise, why would she give Kagome the bow she kept safe in Mount Azusa?

-Then who do you think is responsible for it?

Kaede lowered her eyes.

-It's possible... that the Shikon no Tama feared and sealed Kagome's powers.

-Shikon no Tama?

-As you know, the Shikon no Tama has two opposing spirits: the good spirit, named Naohi, formed by the great priestess Midoriko's soul, and the evil spirit, named Magatsuhi, formed by the souls of countless vicious demons. The jewel was originated by the death of a star miko, Midoriko, and had never been completely purified, even by its most pure guardian. Maybe only a star miko has the power to completely purify it, interfering in its cycle of chaos. So the evil spirit Magatsuhi must have sealed Kagome's powers. There was a good reason for it.

Inuyasha replayed the old miko's words over and over.

-"From the death a star miko... to the birth of another."-He thought.-"But if only a star miko can completely purify the Shikon... then why Hannari didn't?"

* * *

**Preview to Chapter X****I**

_All of a sudden, she felt a terrible omen. One that almost froze her spine. She whimpered and pried her hand away from the pendant, which fell on top of her shirt. It was glowing and its surface was hot. She turned around and looked at the door, only to find nothing out of the ordinary._

_-What... what was that?-She wondered, looking at the floor, shivers running up and down her spine. Her legs trembled and her palms were cold and sweaty._

**Don't forget to review, please? :3**


	11. XI Silence Before The Storm

**Sorry for taking so long, guys. =/**

**I've been a bit busy lately, and with no time to write new chapters. But finally I managed. ^^**

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**Reply to Reviews**

**glon morski**

_Yeah, I noticed that in English the talking part is written differently than Portuguese. I started writing this story quite some time ago, and unfortunately I didn't realize that English texts are different than Portuguese. How stupid of me. TT_

_Now I'm not sure if keep writing this story this way or I change it right now. =/_

_I was planning on writing this story the way it is now, and my next stories I'll already start writing them right. Do you think I should change it? :S_

_Well, thanks for the tip. Critiques like this are helping me a lot. :D_

**KikyouWillDieByMyHands**

_Thanks for the review. Sorry for keeping you waiting. ^_^"_

* * *

**This chapter is kinda short, but the next one will be a bit longer. Promise.**

**Sesshoumaru lovers, he'll be there. XD**

**Well, this chapter has two background songs.**

**(Okami – Kamiki Village)**

**.com/watch?v=K-fFQH0iKM0**

**(Okami – A Great Spitir Lies in Wait)**

**.com/watch?v=27yGDASw4nM**

_(Gosh, I love that first one. It's really cool. :D)_

* * *

**On with the Story!**

* * *

**Chapter XI – Silence Before The Storm**

After putting her clothes to dry on the wind, Kagome sat on the green and refreshing grass under the shade of a tree where she tied the rope, the sacred bow of Mount Azusa lying beside her along with her quiver not so full of arrows. She had only three left.

-"I forgot to buy some when we were at Hitomiko-sama's village."-She remembered eyeing her quiver.-"Gotta remember that before leaving on the next trip."

Kagome looked up at her green and white clothes swaying on the wind.

-"The next trip… this one will be different. There're no more shards to look for. All of them are with Naraku, and the only one that is not, is with Kohaku-kun, who's being protected by Sesshoumaru. But… what are we gonna do? We need to complete the Shikon no Tama, but in order to do so…"-Kagome sighed.-"Why so complicated?"

Kagome looked to her side, eyeing the bow of Mount Azusa, as if seeking answers. It was weird, really. She felt less nervous when she had that bow nearby. It was as if it could soothe her soul. As if she had a bond with that weapon.

-It's not exactly impossible or ridiculous, is it?-Kagome smiled to herself.-Inuyasha has a bond with a sword, doesn't he? So why can't I have some kind of bond with a bow?

Maybe she should ask Kaede about it later. Or maybe not? After all, Inuyasha was telling her about her sister's death, again, right now. Yup, maybe another day.

And remembering about Kikyou…

-…-Kagome couldn't help but wonder if they would have the same destiny as she had battling Naraku. What would happen? Were they all going to die? Were they gonna be ok?

She felt scared of never being able to see her family again. It's been quite some time since she last saw her mother, her grampa, her little brother… She wasn't ready to let them go. And before she knew it, she was feeling homesick again.

-"But I can't leave Inuyasha. He might need me here. Things are really difficult on him lately, and I can't be so selfish on times like this."-Kagome looked down at the wooden amulet.-"I wonder… if things would be different if I could use my powers since the beginning? But… do I actually have enough power to put things right?"

Her agitated mind was suddenly pulled from her thoughts. She was confused at first, but then she felt an odd feeling, like when a feather brushes your skin so lightly that you're not sure if you were touched at all. She was unfamiliar with the feeling itself, but what was causing it felt oddly comforting. What was that?

She looked around; searching for something, then eyed the bushes behind her. Something was coming. She could _feel _it. For some reason, she knew it wasn't dangerous. She knew what… no… who was it. And she couldn't help but smile welcomingly when she spotted Inuyasha appearing from the foliage.

As for his part, the half demon was surprised for being received with her eyes bright in joy and a smile on her lips.

-Were you waiting for me?-He asked.

She opened her mouth, but shut it afterwards. As if pondering her answer, she arched her brow and eyed something on the tree tops from the corner of her eye.

-No, not really. I just… felt you coming. I guess.

-Felt me?-Inuyasha approached and sat beside her, arms and legs crossed.-What do you mean?

-I'm not sure. I was thinking about… stuff here, when I felt like something touched me. Not really touch, it's like… it's hard to explain.-She looked up at the sky.-I just felt that you were coming, and I knew it was you. I knew it wasn't Sango-chan, or Shippou-chan, or anyone else.

Inuyasha accompanied her gaze to the sky.

-Hitomiko mentioned something about the seal not being able to completely seal your powers. You still have those of a common miko, and maybe a bit of the star miko's ones.

-Hum… maybe that's it.-Kagome pondered.-I mean… maybe that's what used to happen when I was little?-Then she shook her head as if to brush that thought aside and looked at him.-Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you were with Kaede-obaa-chan.

-I was.-He looked up at the sky.-And I told her everything.

Kagome watched him in silence, as if waiting to see something. Then she lowered her head and looked to the ground.

-I wonder… if that was really for the best…

Inuyasha sighed and looked disapprovingly at her.

-Kagome, we already talked about it.

-I know. Sorry.-She looked up at him apologetic.-How Kaede took it in then?

-She was sad… but she was more accepting of this than I first thought. She's just relieved that Kikyou is not suffering anymore.

-I see.

That subject wasn't really comfortable to talk about. They had already settled this thing. So Inuyasha changed the subject and started telling Kagome everything that Kaede told him concerning her situation as a newly found star miko.

_(Background music: Okami – Kamiki Village)_

A few minutes later, they were both looking up at the sky in a comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. A pair of birds appeared, chirping and flying around each other. As they both observed the two winged animals, Kagome smiled to herself, flooded again with a feeling of peace. This day was turning out to be wonderful, and her accumulated stress was being washed away like it was nothing but dust. The sun warming her skin… the wind blowing at her hair… the song sung by birds of countless colors and forms... the scent of nature all around her… Inuyasha's presence right by her side, giving her a very welcomed feeling of safety… She wished she could be there forever.

She heard Inuyasha take a deep breath and lay back on the grass, his hands cupping the back of his head as he looked skyward, his face serene and unworried. She didn't know if he was aware that she was observing him, but she was thankful that he let her. There were times, in the past, that he would snap at her as soon as he noticed her staring at him. Now he didn't seem to mind, or gave up on fighting because of something so trivial.

With a deep breath of her own, the young miko looked up at the vast blue sky. She remembered the not so distant past, when they would come back to the village, sit in a peaceful place like this, and bicker all day long, especially over the most ridiculous things possible.

And now, look at them. Who would think that the same untrained priestess and grumpy hanyou, who used to fight over anything and everything, would be sitting here, on the same hill that witnessed some of their fights, relaxing in a harmonic silence? They surely matured.

The clouds moved lazily on the sky, and his golden eyes were getting heavy just by watching them. It's been a very long time since the last time he could just lay down on his back under a tree shade and relax, watching the clouds and hearing the sounds of nature. And of course...

He took a very deep breath.

...smell her scent close to him. It made him relax the most. It made all the problems and worries just vanish.

Not for the first time, he imagined life after the battle with Naraku. He'd take Kagome to this place every day, when the sun wasn't too hot and the birds and cicadas made a choral with the breeze rattling the foliage. He'd hold her close and nuzzle her midnight hair where he could smell her scent better, be intoxicated by it.

But as he could almost fell her in his arms, he heard her whispering voice close to his ear, and her warm and small hand shook his shoulder.

His eyes opened, staring up at her smiling face.

-I'll go back to the village to change and give these clothes back to Kaede. Are you coming or do you want to stay here?

He noticed that she had her green and white clothes already folded in her arms. Did he doze off? By the way she was smiling at him, he did. And as he processed her question, he wanted to say that he'd like to stay, and that he wanted her to stay as well. But instead,...

-I'll stay a bit more. Go ahead, I'll go later.-He didn't sit up to answer. He was too comfy and lazy laying there. And he liked to look at up at Kagome's face with the sky right behind her.

-Ok.-She nodded and stood, grabbing her bow and quiver and walking towards the village. He watched her go and smiled. It's been a perfect day.

/\\\\\

A few minutes later...

/\\\\\

As Kagome finished dressing up, giving a final knot on her 'scarf' (or whatever that red thing is called), her hand touched the drop shaped pendant on her chest. She took it between her fingers, and looked at the star carved on it with curiosity and a hint of disappointment.

That necklace was sealing her powers. Powers that she never imagined having, even after she came here, in the Feudal Era. Those powers sounded like out of a fairy tale to her. Even now, it was hard to believe she was a legendary kind of priestess called star miko. But there was no explanation for the odd events that started happening after Kikyou's pass away.

-"Inuyasha said that my antecessor, Hannari, was supposed to purify the jewel, ending its cycle of chaos. That way, the jewel wouldn't be more than a relic that could only be used for good. But something happened and Hannari didn't purify it... and appeared badly injured in the woods."-Kagome recalled her dreams.

_Her mission was almost done. But she couldn't finish it alone. She was thankful that Inu no Taisho appeared to help her._

-"Hannari... she was going to die with those injuries. There was no way she'd survive, even if she was a star miko. She had to do something more before she died, and that's why she needed Inu no Taysho there. But..."- Kagome narrowed her eyes at the star design.-"...what was it?"

Something was telling her that whatever Hannari had to do, it concerned her too. She wasn't sure how... she just knew. Those dreams... weren't pointless.

_(Background music: Okami – A Great Spirit Lies in Wait)_

All of a sudden, she felt a terrible omen. One that almost froze her spine. She whimpered and pried her hand away from the pendant, which fell on top of her shirt. It was glowing and its surface was hot. She turned around and looked at the door, only to find nothing out of the ordinary.

-What... what was that?-She wondered, looking at the floor, shivers running up and down her spine. Her legs trembled and her palms were cold and sweaty.

-Kagome-sama! Did you feel that too?

She turned again, finding Miroku, Sango and Shippou entering the hut.

-Yes. A sinister energy. The evil in it was so... intense.-She turned her eyes towards her pendant, still glowing and heating up.-"Like something I'd always avoid..."

-Kagome-chan, are you ok?-Sango asked worried.-You're pale.

Kagome looked up at her friend and muttered.

-Something is terribly wrong.

Inuyasha's face contorted into a frown when his nose picked something odd. Opening his eyes, he sat up and looked at the sky. Far on the horizon, he could see a dark purple mist gathering among the distant hills, like the clouds of a storm. But he knew better.

A wind of intense sinister blew, spooking every living being into hiding.

Raising on his feet, Inuyasha sniffed the wind and growled.

-I can smell Naraku's scent...

Yes. Naraku was up to something again.

The perfect day turned out to be not so perfect.

Like the silence before a storm.

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**Man, it's shorter than I though. ._."**

**Sorry. TT**

**Please, I beg for reviews. D:**

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**Preview to chapter XII**

_All of a sudden, like he sensed that she observed him, he turned around and looked at her. He blinked, and then smirked._

_-So there you are, little miko._

_(...)_

_Sango gasped. Kagome's body started giving flares of intense heat as small reddish particles appeared and started floating around her. The demon slayer was forced to drag Kohaku away from Kagome, so hot was getting being around her._

_(...)_

_Her body jerked. On her knees, face skywards, eyes completely white, she let out a terrifying cry of pain when tendrils of red light and thousands of incandescent embers exploded from her body all at once, flying up above._

_(...)_

_-Such a fool wench.-The yokai mocked.-Kagome is just as foolish as that other wench, Hannari, was._

_Inuyasha growled even more. How did this bastard know about Kagome's antecessor?_

_-Who the hell are you?_

_-Since you asked, I'll tell you.-He smiled, as if proud of something he did.-I am Magatsuhi, star mikos' killer and murderer of the Hana no Miko Hannari._


	12. XII Magatsuhi, the Star Miko's Killer

**Hi guys. Sorry for being a bit... erm... ok, very late with the chapter. I've been kinda busy, and a few unexpected things happened. Plus tests times in college, so... well... you get the point.**

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**Reply to Reviews**

**Cindy**

_Really? Thanks a lot! :D_

_I'll do my best! ;)_

_Thanks for your review._

**glon morki**

_Well, most of them. Actually, I started this story after I bought and played Okami, and I could say that I got the idea for this story after finishing the game. You know when you get an idea from something, and you twist it for a long time until you get satisfied? Well, that's what happened._

_Surely the best game ever. The soundtrack is amazing. I sleep listening to it. xD_

_I have been thinking about this grammar error, and decided to start writing it right. It will look weird with half the story wrong, and the other half right, but... everything for my lovely readers. :) Thanks for the tip._

_About the short chapter... surprise. This one got really big. xD_

_Actually, this one and the next were supposed to be only one chapter, but after I saw how long it was... boy, was I surprised. So I decided to divide it, so the reading wouldn't be too tiresome. Also, this chapter is more focused on Sesshoumaru, since it is his battle. And... well, I don't know about you, but I'm not a big fan of him._

_About Kagome's powers... well, I can't really tell you that. It would ruin the drama. Let's wait and see what happens, right? (Boy, I hate when they say it to me.)_

_Thanks for the review. :)_

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**Two background songs this time, guys. And surprise! No okami in this one. XD**

**(Shadow of the Colossus – Black Blood)**

**.com/watch?v=AulkULb67sE**

**(Kingdom of Heaven – Battle of Kerak)**

**.com/watch?v=mfW4pefWaiI**

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**On with the story!**

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**Chapter XII – Magatsuhi, the Star Miko's Killer**

As the sight of the battle appeared, Kagome felt a shiver running up her spine. The amulet around her neck was still very hot, and she knew that something bad was about to happen.

"Kagome, are you ok?"

Kagome looked down at Inuyasha. He told her to ride Kirara with Sango, and he was running below them with Tessaiga already unsheathed, ready to battle.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She answered. "I'm just a little... nervous."

"Oh no." Sango went pale. "They got Kohaku!"

"And Sesshoumaru too!" Miroku added while running beside Inuyasha.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha ran faster. "I'll go ahead!"

Kirara flew around the battle field till she found a good place to land, a safe distance from the strange demon.

Inuyasha sprinted forward and attacked, freeing Sesshoumaru and Kohaku from the gray haired yokai's grip.

Sesshoumaru jumped back, and Jaken ran in despair next to him. His only arm was badly injured, bleeding and with a strange sickening color because of the poison. He didn't seem that affected though, and if one looked closely at his cold expression, it would be noticeable that he was utter pissed.

Kohaku fell unconscious a few meters in front of the group.

Kagome ran after Sango as they both went to aid the young demon slayer.

"Kohaku!" Sango called worriedly, hugging her brother.

"Kohaku-kun!" Kagome stood next to the siblings, trying to take in what was happening around there. She could clearly see that the shard was badly tainted, in a way that she had never seen before. But how? Naraku couldn't even touch that shard.

"Sesshoumaru has been defeated..." Shippou murmured in astonish.

'_Defeated?'_ Kagome looked at the dai yokai, then at the strange yokai a few meters from them. _'By him?'_

"It appears that giving the Meido Zangetsuha to Inuyasha has taken an effect on him." Miroku said carefully.

Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru again.

'_No. Something tells me that it's not Sesshoumaru. There's something really odd with that yokai.'_

"Kohaku, hold on." Sango's worried whisper got the miko's attention. Her concentration flew to the condition of the jewel shard on his nape.

"The shard is badly tainted. I need to purify it quickly." Kagome knelled close and opened her palm next to the boy's nape. _'The shard is really badly tainted. Never saw one this bad before.'_ Kagome looked at the strange yokai while the standard portion of her spiritual powers did the purification automatically. _'Is he the one who contaminated it?'_

_(Background music: Shadow of the Colossus – Black Blood)_

There was something different about this demon. Kagome felt her powers jumpy, as if they were trying to react with her instincts and make her run. Something about this demon stirred a deep and intense instinct that she somehow felt familiar with. An instinct that was closely connected with her powers.

The seal necklace struggled to keep them at bay. Her body felt like getting warmer, almost like a fever, and something deep in her mind screamed only one thing: RUN!

'_Is he another puppet from Naraku?'_ She wondered, careful analyzing the demon. _'No... he's not any ordinary yokai.' _Her eyes narrowed. _'Who is he then?'_

All of a sudden, like he sensed that she observed him, he turned around and looked at her. He blinked, and then smirked.

"So there you are, little miko."

He creepily widened his eyes, and Kagome felt like something ripped her heart in two and crushed her skull in five. Her stormy blue eyes closed tightly in pain as she fell forward.

"Kagome?" Sango looked up at the miko, who was on her fours, panting. Her body was pulsing madly.

"Kagome!" Shippou screamed in terror.

Inuyasha's attention flew to the miko.

'_Kagome...? What the...?'_

Kagome gasped.

"What's… happening…?" She muttered confused, scared and in pain.

Opening her eyes, which were slowly turning crystal blue, she searched her friends for help. But the pain was too big for her, and she shut her eyes again.

The pendant was starting to glow reddish from the heating, but that's not what was worrying the others. Behind the amulet, the mark of an eight pointed star appeared on her chest, glowing so brightly that it could be seen through the white shirt.

'_What's going on?'_ Inuyasha was about to bolt her way.

"Kagome-chan, what is-…" Sango gasped. Kagome's body started giving flares of intense heat as small reddish particles appeared and started floating around her. The demon slayer was forced to drag Kohaku away from Kagome, so hot was getting being around her.

Her body jerked. On her knees, face skywards, eyes completely white, she let out a terrifying cry of pain when tendrils of red light and thousands of incandescent embers exploded from her body all at once, flying up above. Swirling, they flew towards the demon, being absorbed by him.

As the last embers disappeared inside his body, Kagome's body fell hard on the ground. Motionless.

"Kagome!" Shippou ran towards her. "Kagome, can you hear me? Kagome!"

But Kagome never responded.

Inuyasha growled.

"Bastard! What did you do to Kagome?"

His opponent just chuckled in malice.

"Such a fool wench." The yokai mocked. "Kagome is just as foolish as that other wench, Hannari, was."

Inuyasha growled even more. How did this bastard know about Kagome's antecessor?

"Who the hell are you?"

"Since you asked, I'll tell you." He smiled, as if proud of something he did. "I am Magatsuhi, star mikos' killer and murderer of the Hana no Miko Hannari."

_(Background music: Kingdom of Heaven – The Battle of Kerak)_

A silence filled of tension and evilness weighted on them. It was almost suffocating.

Sesshoumaru, his only arm injured, bleeding and odd colored from the poison, stepped forth.

"Take Kohaku and the miko and step aside." The others looked at him, confused. "You are only disturbing the fight."

The dai yokai walked towards Inuyasha and Magatsuhi, his injured arm limp on his side. When the hanyou noticed his approach, he peeked quickly at his half-brother's condition.

"Sesshoumaru, you must retreat for now! This is no fight for someone injured!"

Sesshoumaru seemed unfazed, but Jaken got really mad at those words.

"W-what did you just say? Who do you think is the responsible for this? When Sesshoumaru-sama gave you his Meido Zangetsuha, he-..."

"Shut up, you freaking frog!"

Sesshoumaru growled lowly, but dangerously.

"It seems I'm being underestimated." A nonexistent wind blew on Sesshoumaru's hair. "To receive the pity of a hanyou?"

His golden eyes turned crimson red, and he raised his arm. His strong demonic energy made itself known when it sparkled in bluish light right under his skin, healing each wound of his single arm in mere seconds.

Jaken smirked in triumph.

"The wounds have healed!"

Magatsuhi watched the events in silence, his mocking smirk never fading.

"So I haven't finished with you yet." His arm transformed, and he attacked.

The limb ricocheted past Inuyasha and towards Sesshoumaru like a whip, but the dai yokai disappeared right before he could be hit.

Magatsuhi blinked in confusion, before he noticed the dai yokai floating in the sky, surrounded with demonic energy.

With a mighty roar, Sesshoumaru transformed into a colossal three legged white dog, who dived towards the demon and ripped his head right off with its mighty jaws.

"He did it!" Jaken commemorated. "Take that, you creepy excuse of a yokai! Taste the true power of the mighty Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Sesshoumaru landed a few yards behind the body, that fell unmoving to the ground.

"Yokai?" The head in Sesshoumaru's jaws smirked, still alive. "I'm merely a spirit, I tell you. This is a borrowed body, so no matter what you do, I fell absolutely no pain."

The inert body on the ground started releasing a purple mist. Inuyasha gasped at the realization.

"Miroku! Sango! Take Kagome and the others away from here! That's shouki!"

"Alright!" Sango nodded and was about to take Kohaku, but when she eyed Miroku approaching Kagome, she jumped towards the girl's side. "You better take Kohaku, monk."

"Oh, you hurt me, Sango." Miroku sighed, going for Kohaku. Rin awaited already mounted on Ah-Uhn.

The poisoned gas covered the ground like a mist, but the humans were safely afloat in the air.

Sango held Kagome in place, so she wouldn't fall with Kirara's movements, and she made sure that her bow was secure too. Shippou sat in front of Kagome's head, not minding to lend his tail as a pillow for his surrogate mother. He constantly checked her vital signs though, making sure she didn't inhale any poison.

Miroku was mounted on Ah-Uhn, making sure that both Rin and Kohaku were secure on the demon's back.

Rin looked back towards the ground worriedly as both demon gained altitude.

"We left Jaken-sama behind."

Miroku looked behind, towards the battle ground.

"He'll be fine."

From the fallen body on the ground, tentacles appeared and stretched skyward, trying to reach the humans.

"He's after us!" Shippou warned, before noticing in alarm that Kagome moaned in pain, even unconscious.

"He's after Kohaku's shard!" Rin said apprehensively.

Before the limbs could reach them, Inuyasha leaped and slashed at them with Tessaiga. The tips fell to the ground, but soon rejoined the main body. The tentacles healed and leaned against the ground, helping the main body stand. More poisoned gas covered the ground, forming a thick mist.

"You may cut all you want, half breed. I told you this body is only borrowed."

Distracted with the head, talking between Sesshoumaru's mighty fangs, Inuyasha didn't see the body charge. The tentacles tied around the giant white dog's body, and Sesshoumaru growled in protest.

"Wanna cut some more now?" Magatsuhi mocked. "Go ahead, I'll not move from here."

Inuyasha growled. He couldn't use Tessaiga now, otherwise he'd cut Sesshoumaru in half as well. And he just couldn't understand why... but he just couldn't bring himself to kill his half-brother, no matter how many times they had tried to do in old times. They may hate each other, but they were still half-brothers. They had half of the same blood in their veins. Sesshoumaru might not understand that, but now, right now, Inuyasha did.

Sesshoumaru growled in both anger and... pain? The tentacles were multiplying. They slowly covered the white fur of the dog demon, heightening him down. He stood strong on his three legs, but the grip of the tentacles on his torso was forcing his ribs and lungs. He couldn't breathe properly. Soon the limbs covered the head that was left out of the cocoon, and Sesshoumaru disappeared in the mass of tentacles.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken cried out in despair. Inuyasha's jaw clenched.

The tentacles stopped moving, and a lump formed on the side of the cocoon. In the blink of an eye, Sesshoumaru tore the flesh and leaped out of his confine, in his human form.

"As expected from the magnificent Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken shouted in pride for his master.

And as soon as the daiyokai landed, he sent his best ice cold piercing glare towards the green yokai, who shivered and tried to defend himself.

"I-I wasn't doubting you!"

Gliding through the air on the two headed dragon, Rin almost sighted, while the monk behind her observed the situation down there with interest.

"He WAS doubting him."

"Yeah, it almost seems like their minds are connected." Miroku commented.

"Miroku!"

Miroku almost jumped and looked towards Sango, expecting something alarming from her tone of voice.

"What's wrong, Sango? Are you ok?"

"I am, but there's something wrong with Kagome-chan." She said worriedly.

"Her body gets feverish in one moment and ice cold in the next!" Shippou added.

"I think it has something to do with Magatsuhi's presence." Sango said. "We need to finish this quickly, otherwise she'll have a thermal shock!"

Their attention went back to the battle. Sesshoumaru had charged, but Magatsuhi tied him in his tentacles again. Inuyasha was quick to react, and cut the tentacles with Tessaiga.

Once the daiyokai was free, Inuyasha looked back at him.

"I understand that you don't want my help, but right now you must let me use the Meido Zangetsuha!"

Inuyasha turned towards Magatsuhi before Sesshoumaru could retort his request. Tessaiga pulsed in his hand, and the blade glowed in a dark luster.

Magatsuhi seemed to notice his plan, and his body spread in random directions.

"Make good use of your sword, half breed. But remember: no matter where you aim, you'll only end up killing your own friends."

The body parts had surrounded them all, and they were even spread among them. There was no way to escape.

Sesshoumaru turned and ordered.

"Follow me."

Miroku and Sango shared a look of surprise before Sesshoumaru leaped and used his claws to slash at the parts blocking his way. He flew ahead, and Kirara and Ah-Uhn followed him close. On the ground, Inuyasha and Jaken ran after him.

"What is Sesshoumaru-sama doing?" The green frog like demon wondered as he scampered behind Inuyasha, quickly running out of breath.

"Ain't it obvious? He's reuniting Magatsuhi's body parts in a single spot."

It took a few minutes, but they managed to fool the parts into reuniting in only one place. They were at least together now, and the parts surrounded them.

"I see." Sango looked around. "If we let the parts surround us, Inuyasha will be able to attack them without putting us all into danger."

"Y-you are sure about that, right?" Shippou asked, trembling in fear.

"Does it mean that Sesshoumaru is risking himself for our sake?" Miroku watched carefully the daiyokai that floated a bit too close for his own comfort.

Rin looked up at him and smiled.

"Didn't you know? Sesshoumaru-sama has always been gentle."

The monk, the kitsune and the demon slayer looked at her skeptically.

"You are on your own now." The inu dai yokai said emotionlessly, not even looking at them. And before the others could send surprised looks at his back, he leaped towards Magatsuhi's head, avoiding the floating parts like a silver bullet.

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha shouted, trying to stop his older half-brother, but with no success. _'That idiot will end up killing himself like this!' _"Don't be stupid! Come back here!"

Sesshoumaru gave him no attention. He focused entirely on killing that being who dared call him weak. He couldn't let him escape after such audacity. He MUST not let him escape!

'_Magatsuhi is my prey, he must die by my hands. He has challenged my pride, and now he's going to die!'_

Sesshoumaru took in a breath, checking the scent in the air, ignoring the reeking body fragments around him.

'_I can smell Magatsuhi's true form. It's controlling everything here.'_ His sharp and cold golden eyes drifted around Magatsuhi, searching. _'The scent is a bit different from the scent of Naraku's evil soul.'_

Tenseiga pulsed against his waist. It wanted to be used again. And Sesshoumaru complied, unsheathing the blade.

Magatsuhi's face responded to the action, showing alarm and surprise.

"Tenseiga?" Miroku said confused.

"He plans on using it." Sango added.

"It's a healing sword. Why would he use it?" Jaken was confused as well.

"Yeah. That things can't cut a single thing, can it?" Shippou tilted his head.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes in suspicion and lowered Tessaiga a bit.

"No. There IS something it can cut."

Sesshoumaru prepared the sword and slashed at the thin air, right beside Magatsuhi's head. But he didn't miss.

They felt their spine go stiff upon the sight of the darkest Jyaki they have ever felt before. It swirled and twisted around itself, forming at first a purple diagonal strip with a red circle in the middle, resembling an eye. Then it gave form to a head, which looked to be really angry.

"Y-you... How dare you!" The semi-transparent head hissed.

On the ground, the group observed the unfolding situation.

"W-what's that thing?" Jaken trembled.

"Maybe that's the true form of Magatsuhi." Sango suggested.

Miroku narrowed his eyes in understatement.

"I understand now. Magatsuhi was originated by the souls of the yokais sealed away in the Shikon no Tama. Tenseiga will only work on things that are not from this world."

"Sango! Kagome is...!"

Shippou's voice got everyone's attention back to the miko, who was sitting on the ground, with her upper half leaning against Kirara with the help of Shippou. Her teeth grinding as she moaned in pain, her body trembled and quivered. At times, electric black and purple shocks cracked around her body, indicating that she was fighting a battle of her own, deep inside herself.

"She's getting even worse." Sango kneeled beside her friend, checking her vital signs.

"I'm not sure why, but it has something to do with Magatsuhi." Miroku informed as he knelled beside Kagome too. He looked up at Inuyasha, who watched the unconscious miko with great concern. "Inuyasha, this battle must end quickly. Kagome won't stand this for too long."

Inuyasha nodded and looked towards the battle unfolding between Sesshoumaru and Magatsuhi. And he knew that he couldn't leap into battle. Not yet.

'_Come on, Sesshoumaru. Quit playing around and kill him already! Kagome won't be able to handle this for much longer!'_

Up above, Sesshoumaru charged again, ready to strike Magatsuhi's true form with his sword, the only weapon that could kill the evil spirit.

"Oh no, you won't, you bastard!" The true's form voice roared, and the body fragments came to him, blocking Sesshoumaru's attacks. And as the dai yokai tried in vain to cut down the protective cocoon with the 'harmless' blade, the head controlled by Magatsuhi resumed to mock him.

"Humph! That sword might be able to cut souls, but it cannot cut Naraku's flesh, since it belongs to this world."

A pointy tentacle appeared from the side of the cocoon, and swiftly shot forward, curving and striking Sesshoumaru's back. It stabbed the dai yokai right through his middle, and the great demon only let out a groan of surprise, ceasing his assault.

Inuyasha gasped in horror.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken and Rin cried out in despair.

Sesshoumaru went motionless, his face paralyzed in shock. The limb that pierced him was static too, coated in his blood.

"I'll tell you one more time." Magatsuhi smirked in victory. "You're weak."

And with that, the rest of the body parts surrounded the dai yokai once again, completely. But this time... nothing happened that indicated a reaction from the wounded dog demon.

"SESSHOUMARU-SAMA!" Rin cried out again, tears blurring her eyes.

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**So what do you think? Good? Bad? Tiresome? Too long?**

**Please, reviews, guys! ó_ò**

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**Preview to Chapter XII**

_Sango cursed and shouted to Inuyasha. "INUYASHA! MAGATSUHI IS ATTACKING KAGOME! YOU MUST GET RID OF HIM __**NOW**__!"_

_Inuyasha's eyes widened at the sight of Kagome turning and twisting because of the pain, her body surrounded by purple shockwaves._

"_YOU FUCKING BASTARD! LEAVE KAGOME ALONE!" Inuyasha prepared to charge._

_(...)_

_Before anything could happen, the whole structure rumbled and flashed in a bluish light, with greenish shock waves of power. It was so strong and intense that the structure didn't last long. An enormous part of it crumbled to the ground, revealing blinding blue light that flashed from the inside._

_Immerged in the light of power, Sesshoumaru stood majestically and powerful. Wounded and bloodied, but strong and alive._

_(...)_

"_There it is, Sesshoumaru. It finally appeared." Toutosai said from high above. "A sword that you have not inherited from your father, but it was born from yourself. That is Bakusaiga."_


	13. XIII Birth of the Snow White Sword

***Awkward moment***

**Hey, guys. What's up? Sorry for being extremely late with the new chapter... again... But you know: the year is ending and I guess everyone is sick of studying, right? But probably on purpose, those evil teachers just give you more things to do than they did during the entire year! :c**

**Also, I've been having some trouble with... I don't know how to call it... but I've been lacking "interest" (not the word I was looking for, but let's go with it) in Inuyasha. Instead, I've been writing and watching . It's been a very long time since I last watched or written anything about it, so... yeah.**

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**Reply to Reviews**

**Emiko Emi Amaya D**

_Thanks, Emiko. I think the hardest part of the story is the beginning, but once you get it done, you can write the rest fine... if you don't go out of ideas. It didn't happen to me yet in this story, and I pray that it won't happen. :S_

_Thanks for reading and reviewing. :)_

**SangoMarie**

_Yeah, I did skip some parts. I tried to place a mark in that part, but I don't know what happened, the site just made it disappear. :/_

_Let's say that I was too lazy to write those parts. Because nothing really special happened there, and those who watched Kanketsu know what happened. But then I started thinking: some people who haven't watched the last season of Inuyasha might be reading this, and they will get confused. So I decided to skip less parts. :)_

_Hope it didn't disturb your reading and understanding of the story. :S_

_Thanks for the review. ^^_

**glon morski**

_Seriously? In the beginning I used to think: "Dude! What an asshole! I hate him!" Just his appearance spoiled all the episode, just like Kikyou (wow, maybe I'm exaggerating?)._

_But then he became... tolerable, I guess. I mean, he was still some cold-hearted, stubborn, pompous idiot, but he wasn't as bad as before. In this particular episode however (17), he was really cool. :D Maybe because he finally realized that he wasn't a 'God' of some sort and that he wasn't invincible. He's a hell of a strong demon, sure. But not unbeatable._

_And about Kagome and her inner fight... It's not because she isn't putting up a fight. It's because she __can't__ put up a fight. The reason I can't tell yet. You'll find out later on the following chapters. :3_

_Thanks for your review. ^^_

**PolarBlue**

_Thanks, PolarBlue. :D_

_Well, Inuyasha knew that there was no other option for Kikyou, and he noticed that she died happy. She died a normal woman, in the arms of the first and only man she loved, and with the promise that they would kill Naraku and avenge her death. Maybe he was more accepting of this and could more easily get over it because of such circunstances. ;)_

_Thanks for your reviews and for reading my story. :)_

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**Background song (because Sesshoumaru's theme always scared the hell out of me. :c )**

**(Okami – Brave Warrior Oki)**

**.com/watch?v=6cxBwkwge98**

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**On with the story!**

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**Chapter XIII – Birth of the Snow White Sword, Bakusaiga**

Jaken's mouth was as wide open as it possible could without breaking his jaw, in complete horror. Rin couldn't stop the flow of tears and sobs as she tried to wipe the salty water from her eyes.

Miroku, Sango and Shippou too were in shock, unbelieving what they had just seen.

Silently, Kagome still suffered the effects of Magatsuhi's presence.

Inuyasha couldn't take this anymore. So what if Magatsuhi was Sesshoumaru's prey? So what if that stubborn asshole wanted a fucking revenge? The hanyou just wouldn't let that fucking bastard kill his brother!

Turning on his heels, Inuyasha ran towards Kirara. He knelled beside Kagome, and took hold of her shoulders, lowering her gently to the ground.

"I'll be right back, Kagome." He murmured, gently touching her cheek with his claws. He could feel her temperature drop right before rising again. "I need to save my brother's ass from that bastard." Then he looked at the others. "Take care of her, and be careful."

The others nodded, and he jumped on Kirara's back, who jumped to the air, her paws and tails aflame.

The neko yokai flew among the tentacles that appeared all around the mass of flesh, reaching for the two. As she dodged most of them, Inuyasha sliced those that got too close, threatening to bring harm to them both, until Kirara reached the closest she could to the mass of meat.

Inuyasha jumped from her back, landing on top of the cocoon, continuing the attacks and trying to dig a way inside with his sword to set his half-brother free. Meanwhile, Kirara returned to the others.

However, no matter how much Inuyasha attacked, the parts simply returned to their place and healed back to normal, as if there was nothing harming them. Much like Naraku.

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha roared. "I will not sit back and watch you die like this!"

The others on the ground watched helplessly. There was nothing they could do to help right now. But the display Inuyasha showed, a proof that despite everything he cared for his brother, or at least cared enough to refuse to let him die, was something completely unexpected for them.

To hell with the differences. To hell with their rivalry for their father's heirdom. To hell with human, hanyou or yokai blood. They were brothers. They had the same blood in their veins. And nothing was going to change that, whether they liked it or not.

"HE'S DEAD!" Rin cried out in sorrow, tears running down her cheeks. Her hopes were fading by the second, and nothing hurt more than to be forced to accept that her lord, the only one left that cared for her safety and gave her a second chance to be happy, was really gone.

"D-don't cry, Rin." Beside her, Jaken sobbed. After many years of serving the dai yokai, it was even harder on him to accept that the mighty dog demon had succumbed. "Sesshoumaru-sama had chosen his fate. He knew that he could not win, and even so, he decided to fight and die."

"J-Jaken-sama…"

"Tears will only ruin his magnificent end." But despite his words, Jaken's own eyes flooded with tears, and he shut them tight to prevent the salty water from falling. He failed.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha continued his assault on the cocoon of yokai flesh.

'_You're the biggest pompous asshole in the whole fucking world, Sesshoumaru! Do you prefer to kill yourself instead of accepting help from the one who stole the Meido Zangetsuha from you?'_ Inuyasha growled in his mind. _'You fucking idiot! I will not accept that!'_

Observing the fury of the half demon from a safe distance, Magatsuhi chuckled darkly.

'_So the hanyou wants to play? Very well. We shall play.'_

Large sickly gray tentacles rose and circled Inuyasha. He fought back, slashing at them with his sword. But distracted with them, he didn't notice the thinner but strong tentacles that moved behind him, and before he knew it, he was immobilized with the tentacles wrapping tightly around his legs and arms. He tried to pry himself from them, but they were too strong, cutting the circulation of his blood in his members.

"What's the matter, hanyou?" Magatsuhi laughed. "Why don't you use that monstrous sword to free yourself? Are you worried about the one in there? Don't worry. For even if you cut him to shreds, he'll be soon revived. As another part of Naraku's body, that is."

Inuyasha roared.

"DON'T YOU PLAY WITH ME, YOU DAMN SPIRIT!" He tried to fight against what was holding him, but to no avail. He was being dragged towards the mass of flesh, probably to be absorbed just like his brother. But before anything could happen, the whole structure rumbled and flashed in a bluish light, with greenish shock waves of power. It was so strong and intense that the structure didn't last long. An enormous part of it crumbled to the ground, revealing blinding blue light that flashed from the inside.

Immerged in the flashing blue energy, a figure with striking red eyes, and a sword of green and blue light in place of its missing left arm.

The light subsided a bit, enough to show to person's front.

_(Background music: Okami – Brave Warrior Oki)_

Sesshoumaru stood majestically and powerful. Wounded and bloody, but strong and alive. His face was impassive; his white garments dyed crimson; silvery white mane blowing with an inexistent wind caused by his superb aura.

The void that occupied his lost left member was replaced by greenish shock waves of pure power that seemed to combine with his flaring blue aura. The powerful mix roared and pulsed, destroying Magatsuhi's borrowed body like fire burning a piece of paper.

"Sesshoumaru..." Inuyasha gasped in surprise, and relief even. Despite his concern, he knew his stubborn and ass of a brother wouldn't die so easily. Stealing a glance at Magatsuhi's floating head, he couldn't keep a satisfied smirk from appearing on his face. The fucking bastard's face was priceless, wide eyed and mouth agape. Bet he didn't expect the dai yokai to be so hard to kill.

"SESSHOUMARU-SAMA!" Rin shouted in relief and joy, tears of happiness freely flowing from her eyes.

"I'm so happy you're safe!" Jaken cried out, trying to contain his sobs on the sleeve of his small brown kimono, but not so successful, especially with his tears that flowed like small streams down his cheek, even more than Rin.

"Sango, look." Miroku pointed towards the skies. A line of gray smoke cut the firmament like a comet, only much slower and ashy colored.

"Is that...?" Sango looked up in surprise.

"Toutosai-sama." Miroku confirmed.

The monk was right. Toutosai, mounted on his three-eyed brown cow, floated the battlefield safely in a cloud of smoke, watching Sesshoumaru's eerie blue glow. His big eyes set on the green shocks that appeared on the interrupted junction of the dai yokais left arm with the shoulder, and smiled approvingly.

'_Toutosai...'_ Sesshoumaru noticed the old blacksmith's expression, and also the charging sharp tentacles heading his way. _'In this case...'_

Sesshoumaru swung his 'left arm', and the greenish shock waves charged like claws of eletricity, destroying the limbs. But it wasn't over. The shocks kept travelling through the flesh, destroying everything in its path, soon wrapping the whole thing. What was left of the structure crumbled to the ground after the powerful attack.

Finally free, Inuyasha maneuvered himself in the air and fell on his feet, his knees bending to help him recover balance.

'_W-what's happening?'_ Inuyasha looked up in surprise. He noticed something inside the light that appeared joined to Sesshoumaru's left shoulder. It looked like...

The light receded enough for everyone to see. There, Sesshoumaru's left arm appeared, clean of blood and scarless, holding a sword as white as snow in a cold winter dawn. The blade shone in green light of pure power. It was incredible.

"There it is, Sesshoumaru. It finally appeared." Toutosai said from high above. "A sword that you have not inherited from your father, but it was born from yourself. That is Bakusaiga."

The dai yokai looked down at the blade. It responded to his aura, shining in an eerie glow.

"This is my sword... Bakusaiga." He proclaimed, lifting the sword skyward. It glowed majestically.

Inuyasha's attention was drawn when some parts of Magatsuhi's body came together not too far from him.

"Damn it! He's restoring again!" Inuyasha prepared himself to fight once again.

The parts all of a sudden stopped moving upon contact, and the mass blew up in without warning.

"What the fuck?" Inuyasha jumped back to not be hit by the flying debris.

"The blade's effects... they remain." Sango commented in awe.

"It must spread upon contact." Miroku added. _'It means that... if Naraku absorb a demon that had been cut by that blade, he'd...'_

Magatsuhi chuckled.

"Well, well, well... now that was a surprise." There was something odd with Magatsuhi's voice. One could detect his hesitation if hearing closely. "But should I remind you that I cannot feel pain or anguish with a borrowed body?"

A whimper of pain got their attention. Sango, Mirok, Shippou, Rin and Jaken turned in worry.

Kagome, leaning against Kirara's side, had her body wrapped with a shocking wave of purple, and she curled herself in a fetal position with so much pain.

"Damn it!" Sango cursed and shouted to Inuyasha. "INUYASHA! MAGATSUHI IS ATTACKING KAGOME! YOU MUST GET RID OF HIM **NOW**!"

Inuyasha's eyes widened at the sight of Kagome turning and twisting because of the pain, her body surrounded by purple shockwaves.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD! LEAVE KAGOME ALONE!" Inuyasha prepared to charge, but Sesshoumaru beat him to it.

A powerful and calculated swing of his brand new sword, and Sesshoumaru sent a wave of green colored light straight into Magatsuhi's face. He gasped in surprise, the attack engulfing his head and vaporizing it into nothing.

"TAKE THAT, YOU TALKING BASTARD! THAT'S FOR UNDERESTIMATING SESSHOUMARU-SAMA!" Jaken roared at the top of his lungs, waving his arms and the two-headed staff in the air.

"But where's Magatsuhi's true spirit?" Inuyasha inquired as the clouds of jyaki started scattering and vanishing. Behind them, the open blue skies reclaimed the day.

It took only a few seconds for the clouds of jyaki to completely vanish. The only thing left, proof of the battle that had just happened, was the destroyed scenery of the battlefield.

Sesshoumaru looked around, his position still tense for battle. His muscles then relaxed slightly and he responded in an emotionless and cold tone.

"Ran away."

With no sign of danger, Sesshoumaru looked down at Bakusaiga. Once again, it responded to him, glowing. Its glow had changed now, to a soft light aqua green.

Sensing no danger himself, Inuyasha sheathed Tessaiga and turned towards the group a few meters from him. Toutosai's cow flew towards Sesshoumaru, behind him, but he gave them no attention. He was focused on Kagome and Kohaku who had been attacked by Magatsuhi and still laid unconscious on the ground. Miroku took Kohaku in his arms and sat him up, leaning his upper half on Kirara's side. He moved to do the same with Kagome, while Sango squatted beside her brother to check his condition. Shippou and Kirara watched both fallen humans in worry.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin and Jaken ran past him to greet the dai yokai that was talking with Toutosai. Means, Toutosai was talking to him.

"How's Kagome?" He asked when he came close enough to his group. Miroku was checking Kagome's temperature and pulse when he crouched near them.

"Magatsuhi's attack was a bit strong on her, but I guess she's fine. She stirred sometimes during the battle, but I think she was reacting to Magatsuhi's presence." Sango replied.

"Magatsuhi did something with her that disturbed her aura." Miroku added with a worried expression, taking his hand from her forehead. "Her spiritual powers... I... can barely sense them."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome and placed a hand on her forehead, checking her temperature. She was still a bit too warm, maybe from another peak of temperature, but he could feel that it was slowly lowering to a normal level. Her breathing was a bit quickened too, but she seemed fine.

Beside her, Kohaku too looked well, but his breathing wasn't as quick as her, following the rhythm of an unconscious person.

"We better take her to Kaede." Then he looked at Kohaku. "What about Kohaku?"

"He's been passed out since we came here. He didn't even flinch or stir." Sango replied.

"Means that Magatsuhi hadn't tried to attack him like he did with Kagome-sama." Miroku mused. "But we better take him to Kaede-sama too."

"I never doubted your victory, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Jaken's words got their attention, and they rolled their eyes. But Inuyasha looked back in surprise upon realizing that Sesshoumaru had gotten so close. Maybe he was just checking on Kohaku? Odd.

"Yeah right..." Miroku murmured in sarcasm and Sango gave a small giggle. Inuyasha barely contained a smirk.

"'Tears will only ruin his magnificent end.'" Shippou recalled the toad-like yokai's words in a failed attempt to imitate Jaken's voice.

"W-what?" Jaken turned around with a frown. "Silence! Nintoujou!"

The old man's face carved on top of Jaken's staff opened its mouth and blew fire at the kitsune's tail, setting it on fire.

"OUCH! HOT! HOT! HOT! HOT! HOT!"

'_Keh. Idiots...'_ Inuyasha rolled his eyes and looked at Kagome's face. As he watched her breathing slowing down to a normal rhythm, his ears swirled back to hear what Toutosai was saying.

"You always had this sword, Sesshoumaru, inside yourself. But it was hidden. You only had to become a stronger youkai to be able to use it."

Jaken jumped in anger.

"What are you saying? Sesshoumaru has always been strong!"

Sesshoumaru was quiet, only placing his new blade on his waist along with Tenseiga, as if he accepted what Toutosai was telling him.

Toutosai glared at Jaken.

"And you shut up."

"Y-yes..." Jaken gulped and did as he was told.

Inuyasha looked at Sesshoumaru over his shoulder.

'_Become a stronger yokai...'_ Inuyasha looked down at his sword, resting against his hip. _'It means get over his desire for our family relic, the Tessaiga.'_ He looked again at Sesshoumaru. _'Our father was testing Sesshoumaru the whole time. Hannari had warned our father about what kind of yokai Sesshoumaru would be if he made the wrong choice... So he gave the Tessaiga to me... and took everything else from Sesshoumaru... so he could get his own sword... so he could become a stronger dai-yokai...'_

"You once lost your left arm for trying to get the Tessaiga. But now, you not only gained a new arm, but also a new sword that is only yours. That's more than enough proof that you have surpassed your father, and now you're free from Tessaiga."

Everyone watched in silence Sesshoumaru's reaction. But it was kind of hard, since the dai yokai held that emotionless face of his. His eyes, focused on Toutosai, also were kind of hard to look into in hopes to find out what were his true feelings.

A quiet moan of discomfort was more than enough to avert the group's attention, breaking the tense silence like a rock hitting a glass wall.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha turned towards the miko, seeing her turning her head slowly towards him, eyes still closed and only guided by the sound of his voice. "Are you alright, Kagome?"

"Hum..." She hummed so quietly that he had to lean closer to hear. It sounded like a confirmation. Her skin was a bit pale, and maybe her temperature was still too high. She turned her head again, and frowned in more discomfort. With a sigh, she fell into unconsciousness again.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha looked closer at her, his brows narrowing in concern. _'She passed out again. Magatsuhi must have attacked her harder than we thought.'_

Inuyasha passed his arm under Kagome's knees and behind her shoulders, pulling her to his chest. With her secure in his arms, he lifted her from the ground and looked at the others.

"We must go now. Kaede-baba will know what to do with Kagome and Kohaku."

But before Inuyasha could start walking, he was interrupted when his name was called.

"Inuyasha."

He turned only enough to stare at the person over his shoulder, hiding his surprise. Sesshoumaru looked back emotionless, but his gaze didn't stop on the hanyou's eyes. The dai yokai, looked down at Kagome, whose head was resting on Inuyasha's shoulder. The half demon couldn't stop the small warning growl as he shifted the girl in his arms, trying to be on his half-brother's sight way.

Sesshoumaru looked back at Inuyasha's eyes, and lifted his brand new left fisted hand. Opening it, the necklace with the wooden drop shaped pendant, the four-pointed star carved on it, appeared nestled in his palm. The string had snapped and disappeared, only remaining the amulet.

"I believe it belongs to the miko." He said, sparing a glance at the small kitsune that was whimpering at his burnt tail. "Take it." He ordered, tossing the amulet at the kit's direction. He stumbled a little to catch it.

'_Sesshoumaru…'_ Inuyasha eyed the dog demon suspiciously and surprised, but brushed it off once Toutosai said.

"We should go along with Inuyasha and his pack and find a safer place to rest. I'll make a sheath for Bakusaiga meanwhile."

With that, the group of humans, yokais and a hanyou left the battle place. Once there was no one in sight, the wind blew uneasily, as if nature was whimpering at the destruction the battle caused to a once beautiful green meadow full of life, now a dead waste land full of scars and destroyed yokai flesh.

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**Remember to leave a review and let me know what you think. :D**

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**Preview to chapter XIV**

"_Sesshoumaru, I know that something happened back there." Inuyasha said solemnly when he was sure that Sesshoumru was paying attention. "You saw something important while Magatsuhi had tried to absorb you. I know that your opinion about humans had changed a while ago, and you better not try to fucking deny it. I wanna know what you saw. What you saw that made you gain some kind of respect towards Kagome."_


	14. XIV A Daughter of Destiny

**I'll tell you what. This heat is searing my brain! D:**

**And finally I wrote something in this story. Yay! XD**

**Can't promise I'll dive headfirst in Forgotten Legend again, but I'll try my best to keep writing new chapters more often. I mean, I've been writing a new story for ... Sure it's a kids' anime, but... whatever, I love it! XD Not sure if the story will ever see daylight, since I changed the plot about three times... but it's enough fun just writing it. :D**

**I didn't bother translating this chapter to Portuguese this time (mostly because I'm a lazy ass and it's too boring), so I'll just update it already. I hope you guys are still reading it and don't hate me for keeping you waiting... again! I'm sorry! TT**

**I mean, what pisses writers and readers more than lack of inspiration?**

**Anyway, let's just get to the story.**

**No background songs this time.**

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**Reply to Reviews**

**Glon Morski**

_For the fight against Magatsuhi, yes. I wanted to just skip that fight, but I just had to write it because I wanted to add some drama to that part where Magatsuhi fully seals Kagome's powers. XD And some details here and there, so yeah._

_In fact, I watched that episode about a hundred times just to write these episodes about the fight. I think I know all the lines by heart by now. :o And trust me, I'm so sick of that episode... XD I kept watching a few scenes, then got the story and wrote that scene, then got back to the episode and watched another part... Man, how tiresome!_

_From now on, I'll try to 'stray away from canon' more often. :D You know, add more scenes, and change some others... stuff like that. Can't promise there won't be another real episode based chapter up ahead. But they will be pretty good, I promise. ;)_

_Thanks for understanding my situation, Glon Morski. But you see, there are only two animes I really watch: Inuyasha and . And up to now, I just wrote about Inuyasha, and as you said, it gets you bored after some time. :S_

_But really, thanks for your patience and your review. ;)_

**XNekoKagsX**

_Yeah, I've been studying English for about ten years now, and still can't get some grammar errors right. :S I'm trying my best to fix them, but it's such a different language... You can point out any error I make though, so I'll be able to fix them in future stories or chapters. ;)_

_Thanks for your review. :D_

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**Ok, now on with the story!**

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**Chapter XIV – A Daughter of Destiny**

The hut was crowded that night, more than usual, even if Sesshoumaru's entire group wasn't inside. Obviously, Sesshoumaru had retired to the woods of Inuyasha's forest, but never too far from the village. Even if he didn't like the idea of being so close to a human hamlet, he couldn't deny that his group was safe here. Safe enough for him to have some more space to think over recent events.

Jaken seemed to hate the human proximity even more so, and refused to enter a human house with the others, following his master into the woods babbling about how insolent Inuyasha and his pack was for bringing Sesshoumaru here. No one really paid attention to his complains though.

Ah-Uhn probably was somewhere there looking for his dinner too.

And while the dai yokai's and his vassal's whereabouts was a mystery for them, everyone's attention was focused only on the two fallen humans. Obviously Kaede could only treat one at a time, and since Kagome had already awoken before, she gave first attention to Kohaku. But the real surprise was that Inuyasha didn't complain any. The frown was there, but barely noticed. He seemed to understand.

"I can't tell how badly it is, but I can sense that his shard is corrupted." Kaede said as she looked at the boy's nape. "Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do. I'm afraid that only Kagome can tell for sure how bad it is, and she's the only one who can fix this problem."

"But will he be fine having a corrupted shard in his body?" Sango asked worriedly, holding her little brother on her lap. "I mean, Naraku has been controlling him for so long with that shard… I don't wanna lose him again to that bastard."

"A few hours with it won't do any harm, Sango. I can guarantee that." Kaede looked down. "Although I highly recommend that it's purified as soon as possible. Otherwise, we'll have to keep him unconscious and take some safety measures until the issue is solved. Naraku's plans are very unpredictable now."

"We don't have another choice but to wait for Kagome-sama to awake then." Miroku looked down at the priestess, laying on a futon. Inuyasha was seated next to her, keeping guard even if they were safe and surrounded by friends.

Inuyasha looked up at that.

"Kagome was somehow attacked by Magatsuhi too." He remembered them. "Do you think she will be fine, Kaede-baba?"

Kaede came closer to the younger miko, and touched a hand to her forehead. Closing her eyes, she concentrated. Everyone was quiet to aid her in concentrating. Her hand flashed once, lightly and discretely, and she didn't move or made a sound, as if waiting for something. But nothing else happened.

"Strange..." She muttered before her hand flashed again with spiritual powers. Another silent moment of waiting. And again, nothing happened.

"What's wrong, Kaede?" Inuyasha asked.

Kaede sat back and looked at the others.

"Ever since you brought the child here, I couldn't sense her spiritual powers. Even if she's deeply asleep, I should be able to sense them faintly."

"And what could this possible mean, Kaede-baba?" Inuyasha growled in impatience.

Kaede looked at the hanyou with a frown of annoyance.

"I don't know. Magatsuhi is a spirit much more powerful and evil than any other spiritual creature. He might have done many things. I tried to trigger some kind of reaction from her powers to see what's wrong. But..."

"Nothing happened." Miroku completed for the old woman.

"So Magatsuhi did something with Kagome's powers?" Shippou asked, looking at his surrogate mother with worry.

"I'm not really sure. Her powers are not responding and I can't sense them at all. It could maybe mean that Magatsuhi drained her energy." Kaede said. "If so, the child should be fine. A few days of rest, and she'll be back to normal." Kaede sighed and looked worriedly at the young miko. "But I can't guarantee that that's what actually happened. We have no choice but to wait and see."

Inuyasha wasn't happy with that. But looking down at Kagome's serene face, he knew that there was nothing he could do but stay by her side and pray for the best.

'_Damn it!'_ He growled in his mind, his glowing eyes locked on the human female's features, his hands fisted on his lap. _'I hate this. I hate to be helpless. I hate to sit and watch while something tells that there's something wrong with Kagome.'_

_/\\\\\_

Hours had passed. The sun left the skies and the moon rose high. Crickets and owls sang in the darkness, and from time to time a gentle and cool breeze blew on the trees.

The village was silent that night.

The group had eaten dinner not too long ago, but exhausted after such a hectic day, they were all spread about the hut's floor, snoring away in the dimly lit cabin. Kaede and Inuyasha were the only ones left awake, staring at the small fire in the center.

"Inuyasha, you must be tired." Kaede commented, not taking her eye from the flames. "You should sleep some."

The hanyou looked up at Kaede, his golden eyes glistering like embers in the dark. They were loaded with emotions, and haunted by a fear that Kaede recognized after seeing it sometimes in his eyes already.

"I can't take that sight from my head." He admitted turning his smearing eyes from the old priestess to the younger one laying on a futon next to him. "When Magatsuhi looked at her, and then she was wrapped in cinders." He closed his eyes, frowning in disturbance. "I could almost feel it, Kaede. I could feel that Kagome was in pain. Kagome was scared. And I couldn't do anything. I stood there, unable to do anything but watch."

Kaede saw that Inuyasha's fist clenched to the point his palms started bleeding, punctured by the sharp claws. His jaw was also set, the muscles of his mandibles tense and pulsing on his temples.

"Inuyasha, do you have the pendant that once sealed Kagome's powers?" The old miko asked, trying to distract the hanyou's attention from his self guilty thoughts.

"Yes." He answered, taking the wooden amulet from the insides of his kimono, over his chest, and handing it to the old miko. Kaede noticed that the string wasn't the same as before. In its place, there was a strand made of dry straw, tied together by a messy knot. As Kaede analyzed the handiwork with curiosity, Inuyasha blushed a little. "The string had snapped during the battle, so… I made a new one."

Kaede looked up, surprised, but with a smile.

"That's very kind of you, Inuyasha." She said. "And it's a fine made strand. May I ask how did you learn how to do it?"

Inuyasha huffed.

"Keh. I saw Kagome doing it with her own hair a couple of times. I also saw her teaching Shippou how to do it with some flower vines." Inuyasha then glared at Kaede at the sight of her knowing smile. "B-but it's not like I was watching! I was just keeping an eye on her so she wouldn't get in trouble!"

"I see…" Kaede looked down at the handmade strand of straw. Kagome would be very delighted with it. The old miko looked at the amulet and her expression hardened. "This amulet has spiritual powers imbibed in it. It had been protecting Kagome from her own powers and evil energy alike. Maybe it would be better if-…" But Kaede didn't finish it, because the hanyou took the necklace from her hands again. Inuyasha leaned towards Kagome, the necklace held in both hands, and he gently lowered the pendant on her chest, placing the string around her neck.

Accidently, Inuyasha's hand touched the miko's cheek, but she merely sighed and moved a little, but nothing more. The hanyou froze when she moved, but sighed in relief when she didn't wake. Softly, and as if he had forgotten that he wasn't alone, his hand gently caressed her cheek, and this time she didn't react.

Kaede watched the half demon's display of affection in silence, smiling softly. That arrogant young man surely had matured over the time he had spent with Kagome, and she could clearly see that he cared greatly for her.

"She surely is unique, isn't she?" Kaede smiled as she observed the young miko peacefully sleeping. "Not only because she's from another time. It's her presence. She has a strange ability to change everyone and everything around her."

Inuyasha closed his eyes as he listened to Kaede.

"A daughter of destiny..." He muttered, remembering Hitomiko's words. "She's here to change our fate."

After a few minutes of silence, Inuyasha stood. Kaede didn't ask where he was heading to when he turned to the door, because she knew there was a limit to the hanyou's good will when he opened up his mind to her.

Inuyasha pushed the mat door out of his way but looked back over his shoulder at the old miko.

"I'll be back in the morning." He said quietly before leaving the cabin, not waiting for an answer.

Kaede drank the last of her tea, and as silently as she could, prepared her bedding for the night.

/\\\\\

The moon cast an eerie silver and blue light on the landscape in the quiet night. It might be too dark for a human to venture outside, but Inuyasha's eyes were already trained and made for situations like these. Maybe for being a half demon, his night vision wasn't as good as a full demon's, and dog demons themselves weren't the best equipped creatures for night activities.

But right now, Inuyasha didn't really care about that. As long as he wasn't tripping or having to use his hands to guide himself, he was very satisfied with his powers. He knew how the eyes of a human worked, and compared to his own, they were pretty much useless at the darkest of nights.

Once he located himself at the edge of his forest, he raised his nose in the air and sniffed a couple of times, putting one of his most powerful senses to work. Instinct calculated the approximate distance, and he started walking. No need to run when his half brother was so close. And surely he knew he was there.

About five minutes of walking, and Inuyasha had found Sesshoumaru comfortably perched on top of a boulder, his eyes closed and his face emotionless. His right arm and the hole in his middle were completely healed, but his clothes still bore the scars of the battle. Jaken sat on the ground near said boulder, glaring his way.

"What business do you have here, half breed? Bringing Sesshoumaru-sama to a human village is not enough?"

Inuyasha didn't listen to the toad, but had his golden eyes trained on Sesshoumaru instead. The dai yokai seemed to notice that the hanyou observed him, and opened his own golden orbs to stare inquisitively down at him.

"Sesshoumaru, I know that something happened back there." Inuyasha said solemnly when he was sure that Sesshoumru was paying attention. "You saw something important while Magatsuhi had tried to absorb you. I know that your opinion about humans had changed a while ago, and you better not try to fucking deny it. I wanna know what you saw. What you saw that made you gain some kind of respect towards Kagome."

A few seconds of silence, that could have turned into minutes if Jaken hadn't burst out laughing.

"Sesshoumaru-sama respecting a human wench who can barely stand on her own feet in front of a spirit? Don't make me laugh, half breed. That's the most stupid thing I have ever-..."

"Jaken." Sesshoumaru said coldly, his eyes trained on Inuyasha. The half demon tried really hard not to smirk when he picked the annoyance hidden in his half brother's voice.

"Y-yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" The toad-like yokai trembled as he looked up at the dai yokai.

"Be quiet, otherwise I'll rip your throat open." The dai yokai never averted his eyes from Inuyasha, who held his gaze just as firmly. But Jaken's gasp was more than enough to confirm that he had listened and was going to comply. Life was indeed dear to him.

A few more seconds of silence. Inuyasha bore into Sesshoumaru's eyes, waiting for his answer. The dai yokai was quiet for one more moment, as if evaluating his own answer.

"Magatsuhi's aura..." The dai yokai started. "...as evil as it could be, held within it something as pure as the powers of the most talented miko I have seen. He was keeping it under his control, not using it, not feeding on it. A power so high and so pure, that it might be able to match Naraku's."

Jaken opened his mouth, but no sound came out. His lord's threat still hanged on his head. Sesshoumaru continued.

"The purest of powers struggled like a caged wild animal, starving for freedom. Starving to return to its master. As this Sesshoumaru broke free from Magatsuhi's grasp, it was evident that the only one with the ability to set free those powers is this Sesshoumaru."

A power so high and powerful... could Sesshoumaru be talking about Kagome's powers? But how come he sensed it inside Magatsuhi's aura?

Obviously Sesshoumaru wanted to hunt and kill Magatsuhi on behalf of his own pride. But when the dai yokai retrieved and handed over Kagome's amulet in Inuyasha's hand, he immediately knew that there was something more about that whole story. Sesshoumaru had gained some kind of respect for his miko, even if minimal and even if he'd rather admit that he liked Jaken's company before admitting that. But what could have possibly made up Sesshoumaru's mind that he was going to help them, destroying Magatsuhi for Kagome's sake?

Sesshoumaru seemed to read Inuyasha's mind when he answered next.

"The miko rendered favors to our clan, even if she wasn't aware of it. By her hands our family's relic, the Tessaiga, was set free from its prison in our father's grave, from where neither of us was able to take." Sesshoumaru's lips quirked up a little in a sarcastic way. "She also made you worthy enough to be alive, little brother. You should be grateful for that."

Inuyasha snorted and rolled his eyes. His brother was still an asshole, and he'd never change. He knew he shouldn't be worried.

"So you're going to help Kagome just because she accidently drew out Tessaiga?"

Sesshoumaru raised his nose.

"I told you, Inuyasha: the miko rendered favors to our clan, and she's a bearer of great powers. Therefore, I am not going to let her die by the hands of a coward like Magatsuhi." Sesshoumaru lowered his head and looked solemnly at Inuyasha, as if staring at his very soul. "So honor yourself, little brother, and protect that human."

Inuyasha growled in a way that was almost like he said 'Damn right I am!'.

Sesshoumaru nodded in approval, crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

"So now leave, Inuyasha. I want to be in peace right now, and your presence won't help."

Inuyasha snorted, but turned to leave nonetheless. He got what he wanted, and he was damn sure the company of an unconscious Kagome was a hell of a lot better than the company of a conscious Sesshoumaru.

"Yes. Scram half demon, and leave Sesshoumaru-sama alone!" Jaken yelled after him, but was soon interrupted by Sesshoumaru.

"Jaken." The dog demon said, his eyes still closed.

"Y-yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Go to the village and keep an eye on Rin. Your presence is just as annoying as his."

'_Ha! Who has to scram and leave 'Sesshoumaru-sama' alone, huh? Serves you right, damn toad!'_ Inuyasha smirked at the way Jaken's mouth gaped and dramatic tears started flowing from his huge yellow eyes.

Without sharing a single word, the inu hanyou and green yokai walked in silence, one frowning for being in the company of the other. Jaken's pace faster than Inuyasha's so he could keep up.

Inuyasha didn't realize that time had passed so fast while he had been interrogating Sesshoumaru, but looking at the horizon now, he noticed that dawn was close by. The sky wasn't as pitch black as when he left Kaede's hut. The stars were slowly fading, and so was the moon. The first signs of the sun were still to be seen though.

Once they arrived at the silent sleeping village, and right in front of Kaede's hut, Inuyasha almost kicked Jaken's head when he stomped his leg right in front of the short demon, stopping him to a halt.

"Listen here, you damn toad." Inuyasha glared with fierce golden eyes at the short yokai. "My pack had a very tiring day. Disturb any of them, and you're dead. Understood?" For good measure, Inuyasha growled low but fiercely at him. Jaken shivered, but glared up at him. The hanyou entered the hut before he could retort though, and immediately went to Kagome's side. She had barely moved from her previous position, laying on her back.

As the half demon sat by her side, his back leaning against the wall for the night, he watched as Jaken settled himself close to Rin, who slept serenely in a corner next to Shippou and Kirara.

Satisfied that the green demon had finally settled down, still glaring at him, but for his own sake not making a sound, Inuyasha lowered his head to close his eyes and sleep. But not before he spared one more look at his miko's serene expression. And with a tender smile, he closed his eyes and fell asleep. Unaware that five minutes later, Kagome's face wasn't so serene anymore.

* * *

**Remember to leave a review! :D**

**They might help me get my inspiration back! ;)**

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**Preview to chapter XV**

The male voice chuckled. "So you don't remember me, do you?" Then it gasped, in a false surprise as when one realizes something important. "Oh, I forgot. Last time we met, you were in your mother's womb, weren't you? Barely a human being. Interesting, isn't it? The very first living being you've met wasn't your mother, but me."

_(...)_

"So this all comes to an end here." The yokai murmured. He extended a hand and touched the miko's shoulder. "It hurts me greatly to know that we couldn't do anything for you, Hannari."

_(...)_

"_Y-you mean that Kagome could die?" Shippou gasped in utter fear. The little kit jumped on the younger miko's lap and grasped her clothes tightly. "You're not gonna die, right, Kagome?"_

"_Shippou-chan..." Kagome looked down at the fox, not knowing what to say._


	15. XV Sealed

**That's it! Back to college! TT**

**I'll get busy as hell this year... :c**

**Sorry for keeping you waiting guys, I'm still lacking interest in Inuyasha... D: And trust me, I'm almost panicking here! I want to write so badly, and I can't get a good idea to do so... :c**

**Anyway, I need to upload this real quick.**

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**Reply to Reviews**

**SangoMarie**

_Thank you very much. :)_

_You see, I like to think a lot of 'what if's, and this idea came from when I was playing Okami... I got into some serious 'mystic' mood and when I thought: What if Kagome had some awesome legendary power? I just had to write it, and since Rumiko already added some secret power to Kagome in the original story line, I decided to go along with the original and change something or another... Because I'm some lazy ass and didn't want to write a whole new story about it. xD_

_Turned out awesome, in my opinion. :o_

_And I'm glad you liked it too. ;)_

_I'll try to update more often too... :S_

**YukiKagome**

_Thanks, YukiKagome. :D As I said to SangoMarie, I've got the idea while playing Okami, but was too lazy to think of a whole story for it. I was planning an AU in modern times, but it just didn't make any sense. Kagome would have nothing to use her awesome powers anyway, so I decided to set the story close to the original line, with lots of bad guys for Kagome to 'play with'._

_And surprise! I'm planning a sequel! :D_

**KyoLover1994**

_In one single day? Wow. :o_

_I'm glad you like my story. And thanks for your review. I love to know what people think of what I write. :D I mean, every writer likes that, huh? XD_

**LexiXLover3**

_Thanks, LexiXLover3. :)_

_I liked the way the anime ended and all, but when the anime showed that Kagome had some secret power, I just had to 'make a fuss' about it. XD This fic turned out "Kagome rocks!" style, I guess. Kagome fan's work for sure. XD_

_Thanks for reviewing._

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**Background song**

**(Sad Romance - ****Ji PyeongKeyon (Violin Version)****)**

**.com/watch?v=aFZ7bBaYpcw**

**(Writing the part where this song enters almost made me cry... :c Tell me your reactions too, please? ;D)**

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**On with the story!**

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**Chapter XV – Sealed**

_Darkness. That was all that she could see. No matter where she looked. No matter if her eyes were open or closed. She couldn't see her own hands if she positioned them right in front of her face. But it wasn't the darkness that was disturbing her. It was the loneliness. Where was she? Where were the others?_

"_Inuyasha?" She called hesitantly, but her voice didn't seem to leave her mouth. It sounded in her head instead. "W-where am I? Is there anyone here?"_

"_Hello, little miko." A male voice greeted her in a mocking tone. The sound of it sent shivers up her spine. "So we have finally met... Feeling lonely?"_

"_W-who are you?" She searched for the source of the voice, but found nothing. The voice sounded in her head too._

"_Me?" The male voice chuckled. "So you don't remember me, do you?" Then it gasped, in a false surprise as when one realizes something important. "Oh, I forgot. Last time we met, you were in your mother's womb, weren't you? Barely a human being. Interesting, isn't it? The very first living being you've met wasn't your mother, but me."_

_Kagome felt sick just by hearing that voice. Never in her life had she felt so powerless. Who was 'he', anyway?_

"_If you can't remember me, I suppose you're a bit confused, are you not?-He kept playing with her.-Shall we take a little look at some... wonderful reminiscences?"_

_/\\\\\_

_All of a sudden, the world of darkness that once surrounded her exploded into sounds and colors. Countless demons appeared, all of them surrounding a woman floating in the dark. Hair as golden as the sunlight, eyes of light green like polished emeralds under the light, she glared at the demons with fierce courage in the jewel of her eyes. She held a wooden staff close to her body, with a golden five pointed star and three branches of herbs on the top. Tendrils and particles of green, leaves and blossoms surrounded her, as if in an attempt to protect her. She wore light green and white miko kimono, with dark green vine patterns crawling up her hakama._

_The sight of the star miko before her on the peak of her powers was a breathtaking view, and yet, a saddening scene. Kagome knew where the priestess who looked like a 22 years old woman would be next: trying to reach the village as life itself left her like sand through her fingers. And the most terrible truth: she knew she was going to die like that._

_Resigned with her fate, Hannari raised her eyes to the darkness, her arms falling beside her body, defeated._

_Then all of a sudden, something flashed from the demons, speeding towards Hannari. It was too fast for Kagome to see it, but the terrible feeling she felt in her core only by watching it gave her a hint about what it was._

_The flash of purple and silver slashed at the miko like a razor, and gave almost no time for her to dodge. She gasped and stumbled back, her hand on her chest. Crimson blood poured from the opened wound. It was almost where her heart was. Maybe mere inches spared the vital part of her body, cursing her to die slowly and painfully._

_Exactly what she needed._

_The flash of silver and purple disappeared in the darkness, and the devilish voice returned in Kagome's mind._

"_What a foolish miko. Had she stood still, I would have gifted her with an immediate demise. Instead, she had chosen to suffer and die slowly."_

_Hannari looked up and glared at the darkness. An unspoken message: _'This is not over.'_ The demons moved and growled, ready to finish her misery, but yet, she refused to let the pain vanish in death. Raising her arms, the tendrils and particles multiplied to billions, and a flash of green engulfed the demons in a final attack._

_/\\\\\_

_But as the light faded, Kagome realized that it was not an attack._

_The silence reigned here. The moonlight shone beautifully, and the forest hummed in the nocturne breeze. Hannari stood still, her golden hair covered in crimson, glowing under the light of the moon. Her kimono was also being covered in the red hot liquid. As the first droops fell to the soil, small red flowers bloomed from it._

_Hannari had used her last strength to escape, somehow ending here, in the middle of the woods._

_The golden haired miko looked up at the moon and sighed sadly. Then she turned and started limping deeper into the forest, blood falling to the ground at each step, making red flowers bloom after her, as if mourning the imminent demise of the Hana no Miko._

_/\\\\\_

_The scenery then faded into darkness once again. The voice also came back to torment her._

"_Isn't it beautiful? To witness the last moments of a star miko?" The voice chuckled. "It's even more wonderful to witness them dying..."_

_And before Kagome could do a thing about it, the darkness twisted on itself and she was surrounded with colors and sounds again._

(Background music: Sad Romance - Ji PyeongKeyon (Violin Version))

_The moon still shone brightly on the sky, but there would be less than a few hours before sunrise. However, the entire small hamlet was fully awake. None wished to be though._

_The villagers gathered in the middle of the small town to witness the most terrible and mournful moment of their lives: the death of their priestess and guardian._

_Lying unmoving on her side on a pool of blood, Hannari was barely breathing. Tears and sobs were shed all around her. A few scarce glowing particles of pink still left the tips of her golden hair._

_A mid-aged man approached through the crowd, holding a small dark branch full of sakura blossoms, as white as the first snow of winter. He had pointy elf ears and sharp caramel eyes. A yokai. But the villagers didn't seem to notice, or to bother if they knew. He stopped and observed the priestess for a few seconds, which seemed like a very long time, before he knelled beside Hannari's still body, and sighed sadly as he looked at her. She observed him with her unblinking mystical green eyes, as if waiting for his words._

"_So this all comes to an end here." He murmured. He extended a hand and touched the miko's shoulder. "It hurts me greatly to know that we couldn't do anything for you, Hannari."_

_Hannari was silent for a few minutes, her eyes never leaving his._

"_We both know we had no choice. "Hannari murmured, using her last strength. She was so weakened that she couldn't even move her head. Only her lips. "I may perish here... but my mission... is not over."_

"_But who will finish it, Hannari?" The demon asked. "You know that no one else can do it. You are a star miko: the only one who can accomplish such a thing."_

_Hannari closed her eyes for a moment, then took a very deep breath, and raised her head, looking at the man with piercing green eyes. They pierced him so deeply, that they marked his very soul like fire._

"My body may perish, but my heart shall sprout in a millennial guardian tree, and from the woods of this tree, a portal of time must be raised. From the portal, our last hope will silently rise to save the world from the curse that evil had brought as of the death of a star miko."

_Those words were spoken strongly, and after them, an overwhelming silence followed. Hannari never blinked her eyes or turned them away from the yokai's caramel ones. With a weaker voice, she added._

"_My words must not be forgotten or disregarded. You must carry them on." Then she laid her head on the ground again, her gaze slowly losing its focus. "Burn my body... then seek the crimson flowers in the forest. Throw my ashes there... and wait... for the shattering."_

_In silence, the star miko exhaled for the last time, and her eyes closed for eternity. The pinkish particles of light stopped appearing from her hair, and the last wearingly shining ones faded away like the life of the priestess._

_The yokai held his breath and closed his eyes for several seconds, lowering his head in respect and sadness. Everyone lowered their heads in lament as well._

_Silently, the yokai placed the branch filled of sakura blossoms near the miko's face, and observed in sorrow as the pure white of each petal slowly turned into crimson red._

_/\\\\\_

_Everything faded into darkness again. But before she was completely engulfed into it, Kagome could see as the villages bowed to a small altar set on the top of a hill. An old man, probably the village headman, approached with a torch, and threw it at the altar. And as the flames engulfed it, the sun finally appeared on the horizon, obfuscating her view. Off in the distance, the mournful howl of a mighty dog demon, and the cry of sorrow of an eagle demon, sent the soul of the Hana no Miko to the heavens with a last farewell._

_/\\\\\_

_Kagome was speechless. But the voice came back once again._

"_Hannari was the Hana no Miko. A foolish star miko. It was delicious to kill her. I wonder... if it'll be just as delicious to kill my next victim: the Honoo no Miko."_

_She saw a light. Reddish light. She looked to the side, and saw what looked like a newborn baby, crying in mixed pain and fear. There was something shining on its chest. But the baby started to change, to grow at a very quick speed. Charcoal black hair grew on its head, and the members stretched. The light on the chest never faded. The baby cries turned into a child's cry, then at a woman's cries, still in pain and fear._

_In seconds, Kagome recognized the naked person in which the baby had grown up to, and gasped in shock. It was _her. _It was _Kagome Higurashi_._

_Then it was like her view dived towards her floating screaming self, heading for the chest. She saw parts of silver and purple surrounding the view, and remembered the same blade-like thing that attacked Hannari on her chest._

_Darkness enveloped her, but the eight pointed star, glowing in silver in front of her in the middle of the darkness, was burned on her sight. Just like her screams of utter fear._

"_NOOOOOOOOOO-..."_

_/Dream\\\\\ _

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Kagome jerked up from the futon she had been lying on, her eyes completely dilated and almost flooding with tears of panic, gasping for air, and her knuckles white from the strong grip she had on the blanket. Taking huge gulps of air, she tried to focus her sight and control her overreacting body.

After calming down a bit, she finally recognized that she was safe inside a hut, and not floating in the darkness with a psycho-sounding voice. Although her mind did the unwanted work of imagining what would have happened if the dream continued.

"What's wrong, Kagome? Is everything alright?" Inuyasha asked worriedly. He was sitting not too far from her, with Miroku and Kaede sitting next to him. They had been probably talking.

She looked at him for a few seconds, trying to control her tears of relief. It was only a dream, after all. Only... a dream...

Gulping down another amount of air, she asked with her eyes still on Inuyasha. She wanted... she needed to feel the safety his presence gave her. More than ever.

"H-how long have I been asleep?"

"Since yesterday evening." Shippou answered when he appeared out of nowhere to sit himself on Kagome's lap. "You two barely moved anymore after we got to the village. We were getting really worried."

"W-what... what happened?" Kagome asked, stroking Shippou's hair as he cuddled against her stomach, purring in contentment.

"We're not sure." Miroku said with a sigh, looking worriedly at her. "Magatsuhi did something to you, but we're not certain what. Your powers were reacting oddly with his presence there, but we weren't able to sense them until now. Can you remember what happened?"

At the monk's simple words, Kagome almost had a heart attack. Both the dream and the memories of what happened assaulted her mind at once. She started trembling and her eyes dilated.

"Kagome? Kagome, are you ok?" Only Inuyasha's call got her back from her panic/trauma-induced trance. Shaking her head, she looked at the hanyou.

"You must be a bit shaken yet. What happened there was really scary." Sango's voice got Kagome's attention. Looking behind her back, the miko saw her friend sitting there with a gentle smile. She held Kohaku on her lap, and Rin sat next to her, worried about her friend's well being.

Kagome was suddenly worried about the young demon slayer.

"Sango-chan, how is Kohaku-kun?"

"He hasn't woken yet." Sango sighed in worry. "He barely moved at all."

"The jewel shard was badly tainted by Magatsuhi. He must be paralyzed because of its power, because even Naraku didn't contaminate it so much." Kagome admitted. "I've never seen a shard this tainted before."

"Can you..." Sango hesitated. Her friend had just recovered from what seemed to have been a terrifying experience. But Kohaku was her brother. She couldn't just watch him suffer and do nothing about it. "...can you fix this, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome looked up at the demon slayer, and nodded with a gentle smile.

"Of course." She said, and Shippou jumped off of her lap to let her work, and went to check on Kirara who was still sleeping peacefully.

"Don't push yourself too hard, child. You're still recovering." Kaede warned.

Kagome nodded and approached Kohaku, placing her hand on his nape. She already knew where the fragment was, so she didn't really need to look for it. But... something bothered her. Her senses weren't as sharp as before when she tried to see the shard's condition. Only after a few more minutes of concentration than usual she was able to identify the shard's status. Maybe it was because she was still recovering, like Kaede said.

While she was distracted with the shard, Miroku broke the silence.

"Inuyasha, what are we going to do now?"

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha looked at the monk with a raised eyebrow.

"You remember what Magatsuhi said. He may have only bluffed, but what he said is something serious. We should be worried about it." Miroku commented. "He said that he's a star mikos' killer and that he was the one who killed the miko Hannari many years ago. Do you think he only said that to test us or he was actually saying that he planned on attacking Kagome-sama?"

"Keh. If he dares to even look at her again, my Tessaiga's blade will be the last thing he'll see before I cut him in half." The hanyou growled. But in his mind, he was alarmed. _'That bastard... I got a bad feeling about all of this. Sesshoumaru said that he sensed Kagome's powers within Magatsuhi's aura. But how? Could it be possible that the bastard...?'_

As they talked about it, Kagome kept trying to purify the shard. But there was something wrong. Very wrong.

"Kagome-chan, how is it? Is everything ok?" Sango saw Kagome's worried expression and gulped in concern. "Kagome-chan...?"

Kagome's hand started trembling. She pulled her hand back and looked at her palm. Then she touched Kohaku's nape again, closing her eyes as she concentrated as hard as she could. Now the others were looking at her too, noticing that something wasn't right.

Kagome opened her eyes.

"It's..." Her voice trembled. "It's not working." She pulled back her hand. "I-I... I can't purify it."

"Kagome-chan…?" Sango's brows came together in concern.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha shifted in anxiousness.

"W-why…? I-I could do it before."

Rin looked from Kagome to Kohaku, worried about her friend.

"Is Kohaku going to be ok?"

Kagome gasped and her eyes almost rolled to the back of her head.

_/\\\\\_

"_So there you are, little miko."_

_He creepily widened his eyes, and Kagome felt like something ripped her heart in two and crushed her skull in five. Her stormy blue eyes closed tightly in pain as she fell forward._

_/\\\\\_

Her sudden vision left her lightheaded and a bit nauseous. But at least she recovered her balance before falling, and before the others could get even more worried.

'_In that moment... that pain... it felt like something was ripped from me. Like he had stolen a part of me that was really painful to be taken. Could it be...?'_

"Kagome-chan? Kagome, are you alright?"

She shook her head and looked at Sango. She smiled weakly in assurance before her confused frown returned.

Behind her, Inuyasha growled nervously.

'_I knew it. He DID something with Kagome's powers.'_

Kagome looked up apologetically at Sango.

"I'm sorry, Sango-chan. I don't know what happened, but... I can't help."

"That's ok, Kagome-chan. It's not your fault." Sango smiled weakly, trying to hide her concern, now for both her friend and younger brother. "It is me who should apologize. You've just woken up and you already had to work out yourself again."

Kagome shook her head in dismissal and smiled a little, trying to cheer up her friend.

"Kaede-sama, do you think Magatsuhi sealed Kagome's powers?" Miroku asked worriedly.

"Clearly, that's what happened. To be able to seal such a great spiritual power like a star miko's, Magatsuhi might be a very strong opponent. I'm not surprised that Sesshoumaru, the one who holds a sword that can conquer evil spirits, is the only one who can defeat such a foe." Kaede lowered her eyes to the wooden floor, her eyes full of worry, and her forehead creasing in a nervous frown. "But right now, our major concern lays with Kagome. With her powers now completely sealed, there is no way she can fight against Naraku. It's too dangerous, and it could be fatal for her to run into Naraku or Magatsuhi any time soon."

"Y-you mean that Kagome could die?" Shippou gasped in utter fear. The little kit jumped on the younger miko's lap and grasped her clothes tightly. "You're not gonna die, right, Kagome?"

"Shippou-chan..." Kagome looked down at the fox, not knowing what to say.

What Kaede said was true. Even with Inuyasha's constant protection, and the others' protection as well, and her powers, she was still taking the risk of being injured here. Life threatening? Sometimes. Now, with her powers gone and the way Naraku's activities had been almost constant, the chances of her life being in danger had dramatically risen.

"What should I do, Kaede-obaa-chan?" Kagome asked almost afraid to hear her answer.

Kaede sighed and looked at the young miko she came to acknowledge as her own granddaughter.

"You don't really have a choice, Kagome. You'll have to go back to your time until we make sure it's safe for you to return. An encounter with the weakest of the yokais... could be fatal for you without your powers."

Silence filled the hut. Miroku, Sango, Shippou and Rin looked from Kaede to Kagome, who lowered her eyes to the ground, trying to hide them from the others. Inuyasha watched Kagome in full attention. He felt his chest tightening when he smelled the scent of some tears. Not too much, but it was enough to hurt his heart.

"I... understand..." Kagome said quietly, accepting the safety measure. "I'll go... tomorrow."

Kaede nodded and stood to prepare some tea. As the others diverted their eyes to different directions, Kagome kept her head lowered, eyes closed. Inuyasha watched her concerned and sad.

'_Kagome...'_ He could feel her disappointment. He could feel she wasn't happy. It bothered him. A lot.

Rising to his feet, he decided to go outside. He could smell Sesshoumaru and Toutosai close by, meaning that his half brother was getting ready to depart. The old blacksmith probably had finished the sheath for Bakusaiga. And of course, he could smell Jaken as well, passing back and forth in front of Kaede's hut, probably following his last orders to protect Rin, while babbling to the wind... again.

Rin noticed that he was going to meet with his brother, and seemed to realize that it meant that her lord was leaving. She rose to her feet and shot through the door.

"Wait, Sesshoumaru-sama!" She said as she ran outside.

Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Kaede looked up to see her leaving. Inuyasha followed the girl.

"Kohaku hasn't woken yet!" She pleaded after Sesshoumaru, who was walking away with a new sword strapped to his side. Jaken followed faithfully. "Please, wait a little bit lon-..."

"Kohaku will stay here." Sesshoumaru cut her off coldly, stopping walking only upon his next statement. "Rin, you're staying as well."

Rin gasped in surprise. Her lord was leaving her behind?

"W-why Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Jaken too was taken aback.

'_I understand him leaving Kohaku under the care of those humans, but Rin too?' _The small yokai wondered.

Rin ran towards Sesshoumaru, her small hand tightly fisted.

"No! I'm coming with you!"

Jaken turned towards Rin and frowned at her.

"Stop being so selfish! Sesshoumaru-sama lives to fight! There is no sense letting two kids accompany him! And-..."

"Jaken, you're staying too."

There, the toad turned into solid stone. Watching in silence from the background next to Toutosai, Inuyasha seriously wanted to snicker as Jaken took a grip Sesshoumaru's tail (I don't really think that's a tail, but what else could I call that thing over his shoulder? Oõ) and was dragged behind the dai yokai while pleading for him to take him too. It would be sad if not funny. But taken the actual circumstances, this was not the time to look for comical situations.

So Inuyasha stepped forth.

"Sesshoumaru." He called, succeeding in stopping the dai yokai. Sesshoumaru looked back at him, and he asked. "You're going to hunt him down, aren't you?"

Sesshoumaru was silent for a few seconds, before turning his face and answering.

"I already told you, Inuyasha: he is my prey."

"Even after what you saw him doing? He's a powerful foe." Inuyasha tried to warn him.

"It does not matter. Magatsuhi must die by my hands."

And with that, Sesshoumaru took off to the air. Jaken was thrown to the ground unceremoniously.

"Wait, Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha called out in vain. Tousosai stepped by his side.

"Let him go, Inuyasha. Only Sesshoumaru's Tenseiga can defeat Magatsuhi."

"So it means that he will be coming back, right?" Rin said relieved. "It means that we'll just have to wait for him, Jaken-sama."

Jaken lifted his face from the ground and spat out dirt.

"I'll wait!-He vowed firmly."

"Inuyasha..."

The half demon looked back over his shoulder to meet Miroku.

"What are we going to do now? Kagome-sama's powers are completely sealed, Kohaku is unconscious and we can't really do anything about it. It's way too risky for us to leave the village when our group is in such a weakened state."

Inuyasha turned completely, and couldn't help but think that Miroku was a really good beta. A good fighter and provider, the monk always had good advices to tell him, and helped him take the best options for the sake of the pack.

"Toutosai is right. Sesshoumaru is the only one who can defeat Magatsuhi and give Kagome her powers back, as much as I hate to admit it." Inuyasha growled annoyed. "He'd kill me this time before letting me help him, so we don't have another choice but to stay in the village. I'll talk with Kagome later and see if she wants to go back to her time. That's what she was planning on before all of this mess."

Miroku nodded comprehensive.

And in the end, all was in Sesshoumaru's hands. Or rather sword, that only he could wield.

* * *

**Wow, such a long chapter. :o**

**Well, I had to compensate the wait, right?**

**I need to make this quick, guys. Sorry for rushing. :S**

**Remember to review! Your opinion is very important to me! :D**

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**Preview to chapter XVI**

"_Guys..." She called quietly, looking up at them with her eyes holding a mysterious emotion. A mix of fear, worry, hesitation, sadness. They were intense. "I... I want you to promise me... that you'll not tell Inuyasha about this."_

"_But Kagome-chan-..." Sango was interrupted._

"_Do NOT tell him." Kagome bore Sango's very soul with her blue eyes._

_(...)_

"_Sango, are you ok? You're pale."_

_Miroku's voice caught Inuyasha's attention and he turned around only to find Sango leaning against the door frame with no color on her cheeks. She looked like a ghost, or like she saw one. Shippou was on her feet, his eyes huge in fear._

"_Kagome-chan... she has a mark on her chest." The demon-slayer muttered. "And it definitely wasn't a star."_

"_What do you mean, Sango?" Inuyasha asked worriedly, almost in panic._

"_That mark... came from Magatsuhi."_


	16. XVI The Mark

**Hey guys! Another chapter coming up! :D**

**Hope you guys like it. Sorry for being so late... :S**

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**Reply to Reviews**

**SangoMarie**

_Thank you very much. :D_

_I read many stories that said something about Sesshoumaru's... thing being called a word starting with 'm', I think that's mokomoko. I'm still not sure if that's a tail, but I'll call that mokomoko from now on. Thanks for informing me. ;)_

_Sorry for the delay with the update. :S_

**Glon Morski**

_Thank you very much. College ain't helping me much with the story though; it's only increasing my itch to write something. My inspirations was blown away to some very far away place, I guess, and I'm left with a HUGE desire to write, but I can only stare blankly at the PC screen. It's so frustrating! TT_

_But thank you very much for the support. :D I'm sorry for being so late. :S_

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**Chapter XVI – The mark**

After Miroku followed Inuyasha and Rin outside, the women (and Shippou) fell in silence. Kaede started fixing something for lunch, and distracted, Kagome looked down at the amulet that was on her chest.

'_Didn't it...?'_

"Inuyasha placed it back on you while you were asleep." Sango answered her unvoiced question with a gentle smile. "Kaede said that he did it as soon as he heard her saying that it would protect you from your powers or from Magatsuhi's evil influence if necessary."

"Oh..." Kagome blushed and averted her eyes from her best friend. "S-so w-what happened in battle?"

"Well... it's kind a long story. A lot of things happened." Sango admitted before telling her a summary of what had happened during the battle. "Bakusaiga is really impressive. It will be a great weapon in the battle against Naraku."

"But there's something that concerns me." Kaede replied. "You said that the yokai called himself Magatsuhi, a star miko's killer and the murderer of Hannari. If he truly incarnated using a part of Naraku's body, than I'm afraid you're in great danger, child."

Kagome looked at Kaede.

'_He killed Hannari?'_ She narrowed her eyes. _'Than that dream… was real? All of it?'_

Her nausea returned as the sigh of that flash of purple and silver appeared slashing at the mighty Hana no Miko, cutting through her chest. That flash could only be Magatsuhi.

'_If that's true, then it's because of him that she couldn't purify the jewel. He attacked her before she could even find the jewel. But… where was she? What was that place of darkness and full of demons where she was? She did manage to escape alive to encounter Inu no Taisho, but... still...'_

As Kagome kept thinking up hypostasis, Sango looked at Kaede.

"What are we gonna do now, Kaede-sama? Kohaku is in danger because Magatsuhi tainted the jewel, and Kagome is in danger because there's a star mikos' slayer out there and he sealed her powers away." She was clearly worried, and with reason.

"I truly don't know, Sango. I think that only Sesshoumaru can solve these issues, by killing Magatsuhi. It's a good think he's already planning on hunting him down, otherwise I wouldn't be so sure if he'd help us."

"Kaede?"

"Yes, child?" She looked at Kagome.

"I…" Kagome hesitated before continuing. "I need to tell you something."

Kaede and Sango noticed that Kagome seemed scared, almost traumatized. Her blue stormy eyes were haunted and dark in fear.

"What's wrong, child? Are you ok?"

"You seem troubled, Kagome-chan." Sango commented worriedly.

"I… I need to know: is it possible that something… like a spirit… can interact with someone who's not even born yet?"

Sango and Kaede looked puzzled at each other, and worried about that question.

"What do you mean, child?" Kaede looked at Kagome with raised brows.

"I mean…" Kagome looked down in hesitation. Should she really tell them about this dream? At the same time it sounded stupid and childish, it also sounded serious and worrying. "If Magatsuhi is really an evil spirit born from the many evil yokais that are trapped inside the jewel, could it be possible that he… he… sealed my powers before I was even born?"

Kaede looked down in thoughts.

"I'm afraid that it is possible, child. The jewel was already inside your body when you were in your mother's womb, so he might have sealed your powers there."

Kagome went even paler after hearing this. She felt sick in the stomach.

"Kaede… I... Did Inuyasha mention something about my dreams? Dreams about Hannari?"

"Yes, child. He did mention it. Why do you ask?" Kaede was getting worried, and so was Sango.

"Kagome-chan, is there something bothering you?"

"I... I had a dream again... just now, I... I saw her dying..."

"What?"

"I saw Hannari dying. Magatsuhi killed her."

When Sango and Kaede looked at each other, Kagome looked down as she remembered something.

"_What a fool miko. Had she stood still, I would have gifted her with an immediate demise. Instead, she had chosen to suffer and die slowly."_

"_...Instead, she had chosen to suffer and die slowly."_

"_...suffer and die slowly."_

"_...die slowly."_

Kagome opened her eyes in realization. Hannari certainly knew that if she hadn't dodged that attack, she would have died without suffering. But she dodged, knowing that she was only delaying her death. But why? What was so important that she wanted more time?

"_My body may perish, but my heart shall sprout in a millennial guardian tree, and from the woods of this tree, a portal of time must be risen. From the portal, our last hope will silently rise to save the world from the curse that evil had brought as of the death of a star miko."_

Kagome gasped in surprise.

'_The Goshinboku... Hannari!'_ Things got clearer with that realization. _'Hannari wanted to avoid immediate death so she could seek the exact place where the Goshinboku should be, and where the well should be built with its wood. If things happened the way she planned, then my family would become guardian of the well, and then I would...'_ Kagome closed her eyes as the true meanings of Hannari's words hit her like a shower of cold water. _'I am the last hope. I am the only one who can finish the curse of the Shikon no Tama. Hannari made sure that I would go through all of this.'_

If her reasoning was correct, than it was right to say that the Goshinboku was Hannari herself, and so was the well.

"Hannari died slowly and painfully... her fate was of her own choosing." She said to the others, and they gasped in surprise.

"What do you mean, Kagome-chan?" Sango asked.

"Hannari was prepared to die. With her last strength, she sought the place where the Goshinboku and the Bone-Eater's Well should be located. Her last wish was that her ashes were spread over that place, and thus a millennial guardian tree sprout forth." Kagome looked up, convicted. "The Goshinboku is Hannari herself."

They became silent with that revelation for several minutes.

"If your reasoning is correct, child, then the reason you are currently here is because Hannari made sure it would happen." Kaede commented. "Star mikos are born a millennium apart. Your antecessor, being able to predict the future, might have realized that the cycle of the Shikon no Tama ought to be stopped as soon as possible for some reason, and thus she used all her powers to create a portal of time to bring you here."

And that reality hit them hard.

"But..." Shippou's tiny voice revealed his presence by a corner. "If the Shikon no Tama is gone... what will happen with Kagome?"

Another moment of silence, the tension palpable in the air. Kagome looked down deeply introspective, under the worried watch of her friends.

"Guys..." She called quietly, looking up at them with her eyes holding a mysterious emotion. A mix of fear, worry, hesitation, sadness. They were intense. "I... I want you to promise me... that you'll not tell Inuyasha about this."

"But Kagome-chan-..." Sango was interrupted.

"Do NOT tell him." Kagome bore Sango's very soul with her blue eyes. "He'll hesitate if this information comes to him, and hesitation will only make the Shikon prevail. And as long as the Shikon continues its cycle of chaos and war, everyone will be in danger."

Sango, Kaede and Shippou looked at each other in uncertainty. As for Kagome, she looked down at her hands.

'_As a star miko, I cannot let my friends suffer even more because of the Shikon no Tama. Even if it causes my death, I will not let it happen.' _Kagome looked at the pendant resting on her chest. _'I promise you... Midoriko, Hannari, Kikyou... your deaths will not be in vain. I won't let it happen!'_

After some minutes of silence, Kagome looked down at her clothes and sighed.

"I've just washed it and it's all dirty again." Kagome untied her scarf and turned to Kaede. "Can I borrow some clothes ag-…" She stopped. She saw her reflection on the surface of a mirror that for some reason was on top of her bag, by the wall of the hut. With her scarf off, a small part of her chest was shown, and she noticed something strange. Something… purple…

Her eyes widened in horror.

/\\\\\

Inuyasha, Miroku, Toutosai, Rin and Jaken watched Sesshoumaru disappear in the distance, before deciding to go back to the hut. They needed to rest a bit more before facing Naraku again. But when they turned to head back to the hut, Kagome appeared through the door walking rather quickly with a towel and a bucket in her hands, dressed only in a light blue and white robe. Kaede walked after her with a worried expression. He didn't like it.

"Kaede-baba, wait!" He trotted towards the women, but Kagome didn't turn around to answer him. Neither stopped for that matter. "What's going on?"

"No time to explain now. I'll show Kagome how to purify herself under the waterfall, so stay here."

"Purify...? What are you talking about, you old hag? "But Kaede didn't answer him as she jogged behind Kagome to catch up with her. "Hey, wait!"

"Sango, are you ok? You're pale."

Miroku's voice caught Inuyasha's attention and he turned around only to find Sango leaning against the door frame with no color on her cheeks. She looked like a ghost, or like she saw one. Shippou was on her feet, his eyes huge in fear.

"Kagome-chan... she has a mark on her chest." The demon-slayer muttered. "And it definitely wasn't a star."

"What do you mean, Sango?" Inuyasha asked worriedly, almost in panic.

"That mark... came from Magatsuhi."

For a few seconds, Inuyasha felt his heart stop in terror. He started sweating and his pupils dilated. Did Sango just... said that Kagome was... marked?

"No..." He turned to go after the two mikos and see for himself, but Miroku grabbed his shoulder. "Let me go, Miroku! I need to see Kagome!"

"If you interrupt, the ritual of purification will be in vain. Kagome needs all of her concentration." Miroku said, trying to keep his voice calm despite the worry he was feeling for his friend. "If this doesn't take that mark away, it might at least get rid of the evil aura that Magatsuhi passed to her."

With clenched teeth and fisted hands, Inuyasha growled as he looked in the direction Kagome and Kaede had gone.

"DAMNIT!" He roared, falling to his knees and punching the ground with rage. "I knew something was wrong! I knew that bastard did something to her!"

/\\\\\

Several hours had passed, and no sign of Kagome and Kaede. Lunch time had come and gone. Sango prepared everyone's meal since Kaede wasn't there, but Inuyasha refused to eat, even if Mirok, Sango and Rin told him he should. He just didn't feel like eating, knowing that Kagome was skipping lunch to spend hours trying to purify herself. She didn't eat anything since yesterday!

'_She must be really hungry.'_ He thought as he observed the door, waiting for Kagome and Kaede to come in. They never did. His impatience got him on his feet, and he started pacing around the hut. The house was looking smaller to him each passing second. Soon he wouldn't be able to stay inside any longer.

It was around two in the afternoon when Kaede entered the hut with a tired and disappointed expression, carrying the bucket that Kagome was carrying earlier. But the younger miko wasn't with her. That threw Inuyasha in an ever messier emotional heap than the one he already was.

"Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha demanded, angry that Kaede left her alone behind.

"I tried to bring the child back, Inuyasha." Kaede said in a tired tone. "But she didn't want to come, no matter what I tried. I think she wants to stay alone for some time."

"Alone and in danger! What a stubborn wench!" Inuyasha growled. "I'll bring her sorry ass back!" He stormed out of the hut before anyone could stop him. But before he took off, Mirok's voice asked something that he needed to know, so he halted just outside the house.

"Did the purification work?"

Kaede stayed in silence for a minute. Inuyasha turned his ears backwards so that he could hear her answer as clearly as possible. She finally answered with a sigh, knowing that her words would bring everyone's mood even more down.

"No. I'm afraid she will have to carry that mark till we solve this issue. Or... for the rest of her life."

Inuyasha lowered his eyes until they were hidden by his bangs, cursing under his breath through tightly clenched fangs. His hands fisted to the point his claws wounded his palms, but the pain wasn't enough to distract him from the disturbing feeling he got deep in his core. It was like something was trying to consume him from inside out, with no mercy.

Not able to hold it any longer, he took off to the forest, almost too fast to be seen by the villagers. Everything turned into a confusing blur of green and brown around him, as well as the scents of the forest that long ago used to calm his nerves. Now nothing of it could tame his ranging heart. There was only one scent in the world that could do so. He followed it like a bee going for the honey. His only focus was on Kagome's smell. He needed to see her! He had to see her! Now!

* * *

**Hey guys! :D What's up?**

**I've been trying to write some Beauty and The Beast stories this time. I've been in a nostalgic mode lately. I saw some clips of this movie on youtube, and I remembered that this was my favorite movie when I was a kid. :D**

**I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish these stories yet, so I'll only update them if I'm certain. ;)**

**This one will continue! I still have some stocked chapters to go, but I need to start writing it again soon. :S**

**Review please!**


	17. XVII Mark Or No Mark, You're Mine

**Yay! I should be studying right now, but I'm here with another chapter! =D**

* * *

**Reply to Reviews**

**SangoMarie**

_Yup. Thank goodness my vacations are close! Yay! =D_

_I'll try to spent more time with my stories then. ;)_

_Thanks for your review. ;)_

**Glon Morski**

_Thank you so much for pointing out those things. I changed a few parts in the next few chapters (including this one) to make it clearer. ;)_

_About the suggestion of Kagome talking to Hannari through the tree: no, it's not stupid. Being a miko, Kagome has the ability to make contact with a few souls, though she's not trained. But there are two more problems in this case: Kagome's powers were sealed to an extent that she can't contact souls anymore. The only ability left of her powers is to see the Shikon, but she's having some difficulty to detect it now, and only at a close range._

_The second one is that the Goshinboku does not exactly host Hannari's soul. I'll try to explain this in the next few chapters. ;)_

_And besides, Hannari _is _guiding Kagome, through dreams and other things that will happen in future chapters. =)_

_Your opinion about the story if very important. Please, don't hold back a suggestion because you think it doesn't make sense._

_Thank you for reviewing._

**snitchykun**

_Thank you very much. =D_

* * *

**Guys, I'll be rewriting the first few chapters to fix the problem with the hyphens. I'm sorry again for that mistake. ArticPuppet assured me that I would not lose the reviews for replacing the chapters, so I'll fix that asap. ;)**

**On with the story!**

* * *

**Chapter XVII – Mark or no mark, you're mine**

Inuyasha ran as fast as he could following Kagome's faint scent towards the river. He guessed that Kaede had led Kagome to the same waterfall where Kikyou used to purify herself.

The hanyou slowed down and stopped silently once he reached the waterfall. The sight before him was breathtaking.

Kagome was in the water, her back to him and facing the waterfall. The lake fed by the waterfall was waist deep, and the young maiden had the light blue robe sliding down her shoulders, revealing her bare upper half. The muscles moved smoothly under her delicate skin and over her shoulder blades. Under the warm light of the sun, her skin revealed the few small scars marked on her.

A small jagged cut scar on her upper arm, close to her elbow, from Kohaku's scythe chain a long time ago when they tried to save him from Kagura. That one was permanent by the looks of it.

Around each of her upper arms, near the shoulders, tiny purple marks, right under her healed skin, only seen with close inspection. Those were from his own claws when she tried to get some sense into him as Kaguya slowly stole his humanity from him. They were much smaller than he could remember, her body doing as best as it could to heal and hide them. Maybe they would disappear one day.

A tiny, almost unseen, star shaped scar right in the middle of her back, when she leaped in front of him when her arrow had ricocheted from Kaguya's mirror, directed at him, who was trapped against a tree. That one didn't seem to be forever either, as it gave the impression that it was slowly shrinking as time went by. Maybe it would disappear one day as well, when she was fully grown.

'_Fully grown…' _Inuyasha thought with a small smile. _'She's so brave, and clever, and strong… that sometimes I forget that she's yet so young. Not a child… but not a grown woman yet…'_

As Kagome moved, her dark tresses fell from her shoulder and covered her back. At the same time, the moon shone on her side, previously hidden from him. There, the very first scar she got in this time, and the most important of them. The scar that started it all, when the centipede woman bit the Shikon no Tama right off of Kagome's body.

At that time, the jewel came out of her body with easy, and Inuyasha now could see why. It was about two times the size of the jewel, right under her ribcage. Inuyasha noticed that the mark was of a very light color, nearly white. Maybe it could be blamed on the fact that the centipede woman had injected poison in the wound, but Kagome's body fought back, with some help from Kaede's herbs and her own miko powers, used for the first time, and the scar became white.

Inuyasha was in a complete trance as he watched Kagome's exposed back, only covered by the cascade of her night black hair. Sure he had seen her by accident a couple of times, but… this was different. He didn't feel awkward, or like a pervert. No dirty thoughts crossed his mind as he watched. It's not like she wasn't beautiful. She was probably the most fine-looking maiden he had ever seen. But the way she was so serene, graceful and delicate in that moment had covered her with such an innocent beauty that he was terrified of staining that image with perverted fantasies. So he blocked that part of his mind as best as he could.

Cupping a small amount of water, Kagome observed sadly her reflection, before splashing the water on her face to try and cheer herself up.

Inuyasha saddened at that. What happened with his light-hearted, carefree Kagome? This young woman looked so depressed and sad. He thought with a heartbreaking pain: she almost looks like Kikyou. But this girl was Kagome. He didn't want Kagome to be sad like Kikyou. He didn't want her to be anything like Kikyou.

He didn't want her to lose that free and cheerful spirit of hers. It was the light of his days, the last hopes he had when everything seemed lost, the only thing left for him to keep on fighting. To keep on living.

He promised himself that he'd fight to death to protect that light. That hope. He'd fight to death to protect Kagome.

He stepped back and retreated into the forest. He'd have to wait to talk with Kagome. For now, he was just going to give her some privacy, but never letting her out of hearing range. Just to be safe, because right now, she was more defenseless than ever. And he'd be dead before he let anything happen to her.

/\\\\\

Inuyasha returned a few minutes later. This time, Kagome was sitting on the shore, hugging her legs close to her chest, her face hidden in her arms. She wasn't crying, he confirmed with his nose, but she was definitely unhappy. And a bit cold by the way her arms were covered with goose-bumps. Of course, she was only wearing a thin wet robe, no wonder she was cold.

In silence, he shrugged his haori from his shoulder and covered hers with it. At first she was startled, but she relaxed upon the sight of him sitting next to her, still mutely. He remembered that before her powers were sealed, she could always sense his approach somehow and never got startled. He felt a little guilty for scaring her, and kept a note in his mind to never approach her this silently, to avoid scaring her.

"Hi." She greeted him, trying a weak smile.

"Hi." He answered, looking at the waterfall. There was a few more minutes of silence between them, neither of them knowing what to say. So Inuyasha started with the questions. "What happened back there, Kagome? Why did you leave like that?" He knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from her.

She looked up at him and sighed.

"Magatsuhi… he had put a mark on me." She said as if she was disgusted. "Exactly where my birthmark was supposed to be."

Inuyasha looked at her. He wasn't sure what she was feeling about that mark. That birthmark she once had on her chest was something she was born with. Something that was all hers, and had a special meaning for her. And that same birthmark was taken from her to be replaced with the mark of some evil being. It was probably remembering her that her powers were also taken, even before she could notice and acknowledge them.

Again, Inuyasha wasn't sure how Kagome was taking it, how she was felling about it. But he sure as hell knew what HE was felling about it. His blood boiled like molten lava as his mind screamed in fury: HIS Kagome was MARKED by ANOTHER MALE! True it wasn't a mating mark or anything, but it was still a mark. That meant possession. Magatsuhi was playing a dangerous provocation with him, and the bastard knew it. Enjoyed it.

Inuyasha was startled out of his enraged musings when Kagome mournful sighed. He looked worriedly at her, but she seemed to be trying to avoid his gaze. He was a bit confused by this, and slightly hurt.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" He asked, trying not to panic.

"I don't know." She admitted, still not looking in his eyes. "I just feel... I think I am... I think I am disgusted with myself."

"Disgusted?" Inuyasha was startled at this. Why the hell would she be disgusted at herself? "What the heck are you talking about, wench? You shouldn't... no... you mustn't feel like that!"

Kagome was taken aback that Inuyasha was actually angry about this.

"I-I can't help it, Inuyasha! As a half-demon, you should know what this mark could possibly mean!" She distressfully replied, looking at his golden orbs. Then she lowered her gaze in shame. "I know that you understand what I mean..."

Inuyasha was silent, feeling more regret than anger. Kagome too understood. That mark was joking around with her honor and playing with her feelings. That mark was not only a provocation to Inuyasha, but a really hurtful joke for Kagome.

"I feel so... filthy right now." She continued, her eyes lost on some empty spot ahead. "I didn't realize what that feeling was back then, when Magatsuhi looked at me. But now I remember it as if he had reached out and touched something in me that shouldn't be ever touched. He took something from there, I'm sure. And sometimes it feels like he's still lurking there, taunting me." Kagome closed her eyes and sighed. "And I can't do anything about it. This feeling is... I hate it!"

"Kagome..." He looked at her small form, as she hugged her knees and rested her head on them.

He was still angered by what Magatsuhi did, but he was also sad that Kagome was so dejected. He never saw her so helpless before.

"Can I..." He stopped, thinking that what he was going to ask was pretty stupid. Or rather pervert, depending on the point of view. But he just... had to try. "Can I see it?"

She looked at him, but there was no sign of shock or misinterpretation. It was almost like she was expecting this. Without saying a thing, but blushing a cute tone of pink, Kagome took the collar of the robe and slightly pulled it open, only enough for the hanyou to see the cause of her distress.

The mark was exactly on the spot where her birthmark was supposed to be, where her clavicles met and the sternum began. If not looking closely, the mark looked rather like a nasty purple bruise. But it was possible to see that the mark looked more like a diagonal strip, resembling a purple eye with red pupil. That same form looked like what Sesshoumaru had cut the day before.

Carefully, Inuyasha touched a claw to the mark. He growled silently, and Kagome lowered her head in shame, feeling her heart breaking. Kagome pulled back from him, closing the robes and turned her face away from Inuyasha, on the verge of tears.

"You must be disgusted with me too..."

For a moment, Inuyasha could swear that his heart had stopped right there. It hurt like a dagger stabbing and twisting in his chest. A growl of mixed pain and anger vibrated in his chest.

"HELL NO!" The hanyou shouted, grabbing Kagome by the shoulders and pushing her, not as gently as he intended, to the ground, pinning her under him with his weight. Kagome gasped in utter shock. Inuyasha never reacted like this before. His gaze on her was strong and firm, and he was growling at her, but not in a violent manner. It was more like he was reprimanding her. "Do not say that ever again, Kagome!" He scolded her, before soothing his voice. "I could never be disgusted with you... This mark doesn't make you disgusting... or less beautiful."

"I-Inuyasha..."

"Yes, you're beautiful, Kagome." Inuyasha blushed a little, but somehow, he didn't care. He didn't fucking care! Kagome was a hell of a lot more important than his damn pride! Gently, he stroked her cheek with his claws. "And strong. You never showed fear or disgust towards me, a lowly half-demon, even when I turned into a monster. How could I ever be disgusted with you? Never, Kagome. It hurts just to hear it from you. I can only admire you, Kagome. Only adore you."

"Inu..." Her voice wavered in emotions. But he had a few more things to say.

"And Kagome... that mark, it means nothing to me. Unfortunately Sesshoumaru is the only one who can kill that bastard, and I'll have to let him do it. But with or without that mark, you're mine all the same. You hear me? You belong to no one but me!"

They gazed at each other's eyes, the fierce golden sun of his eyes losing itself in the depths of the stormy ocean of hers. Both her startled and his firm expressions melted down, and they gazed at each other with affection, love.

Neither of them noticed the compromising position they were, Kagome being only dressed in the wet light bluish robe and his red haori. And they never realized when they started approaching either. Inuyasha let himself lower on his elbows, his broad chest touching Kagome's, and his claws travelled down her cheek to her neck, gently scratching her skin until his hand cupped the back of her neck, impatiently bringing her closer. Half lidded eyes, still locked on each other, completely closed when they were about to close the distance between their lips.

"KAGOME! WHERE ARE YOU?"

Startled, Inuyasha jumped off of Kagome, who sat up a bit too fast. As she tried to soothe the dizziness, Inuyasha glared at the kitsune that appeared from the bushes a few meters from them.

"Kagome! I was so worried! Are you ok?" The fox demon asked, jumping on her lap.

"Y-yeah, I-I feel f-fine, Shippou-chan. Just fine." She smiled despite her blushing. She looked up at Inuyasha, who looked back at her with his arms crossed. They blushed even more and looked away from each other. "M-me and Inuyasha were… j-just talking. Yeah, just talking. Nothing more."

"Huh? Kagome, are you sure you're alright?"

"Y-yes, of course! I'm just fine. Why shouldn't I be?" She held Shippou and put him on the ground, standing and fixing her robe, which she noticed with a shocked expression that had opened a little, revealing that stupid purple mark on her chest… and a bit of the valley of her breasts. Oh God…

She heard Inuyasha whimper behind her, and she was sure now that he was aware of what had happened. And she also realized that there was no way in the world she could get even redder than right now. Better go back to the village. Maybe walking around the village to finish hyperventilating was a good idea too.

"I-I-I b-better go back to the v-v-village." She gagged and marched on hard steps towards the hamlet. Boy, she wished she wouldn't meet with anyone too soon. Sango was going to ask her for sure. Mirok… Gods, he was never ever going to leave her or Inuyasha alone again!

Yup, better walk around the village for some minutes. Would they miss her if she disappeared for a couple of hours? Maybe for the rest of the day even?

Inuyasha and Shippou stayed there observing her retreating form. Once she disappeared in the forest, Inuyasha crouched beside the kitsune and…

POW!

"HEY, WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" The fox child screamed as he massaged his brand new bump.

"Shut up, you stupid fox!" Inuyasha growled as he stood. Turning rather quickly, he marched towards the deep part of the forest.

"Where are you going, stupid! Ain't you coming to the village with us?"

"Go ahead with Kagome, runt, and make sure she eats something! I need a bath!" Inuyasha answered. _'A really fucking cold bath… DAMN IT! I'll get that brat later!'_

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**I really, really hated this chapter's title. But I have no idea what else I could name it. ;_;**

**I also wanted to put another soundtrack, but I couldn't find one that fit it nicely. Also, too much soundtrack might become tiresome. So... yeah. XD**

**I've been trying to look for songs that are not from Okami. I've been using too many of them in this story, and I think someone already pointed that out. LoL**

**My vacations are finally close, and hopefully this story will develop faster. I hope so! :s**

**Don't forget to review! You can ask about the story if you didn't understand something, or suggest something that you'd like it to happen. I'll try my best to fit them in the story. ;)**


	18. XVIII Magatsuhi's Influence

**Vacations… why are they so short? T_T**

**College is back once again to torment my life, and I've got a feeling that I'll be busy like crazy this semester. I bet most of you are fighting for your grades too right now, right? Luck to us all. :)**

**But I'm sure that we are a bunch of fanatic readers and writers that won't let go so easily of this hobby, right? At least I hope so.**

**Oh, and guess what? My inspiration for this story is finally coming back! Yay! :D**

**The sequel is already on progress, and I'm very enthusiastic about that one. I mean, I'm having so much fun writing it. :3**

**Anyway, enough talk and more story. I think this chapter is long enough for a proper apology for taking so long again. :S**

**Also, I hadn't the time to fix the first chapters about that hyphen problem. Sorry. I'll work on that during weekends. ;)**

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**Reply to Reviews**

**snitchykun**

_Thank you very much! :D_

_I sensed that there were very few moments between Inuyasha and Kagome during the series, to all crazy fan girls around the world, so I decided to develop the few ones and add a couple of some others._

_I don't think I'm to blame, right? Who can resist playing around with this cure perfect couple?_

_Thanks for your review. :D_

**Glon Morski **

_That's a good idea for a title. But I'm always looking for a… how can I say it… an outstanding title. So others will start wondering what's in the chapter that would lead to the title. Like they say: publicity is the soul of business. (that's a poor translation for a Brazilian saying, "Propaganda é a alma do negócio". I'm not sure how your guys say it. XD)_

_But I like your idea. :) I'll think about it._

_About the Okami songs, I just thought that you guys were getting tired of them. I'm looking for epic songs to change things a little bit. Up to now, ICO soundtrack is doing great. I wish I had that game. :c_

_I laughed so hard writing that scene where Shippou burst in. I mean, he's cute and funny sometimes, but really annoying too. Sometimes I think he's only useful to ruin moments and come up with hilarious situations for the team. By the way, I just noticed that children have an incredible ability to ruin romantic moments. I was just like that to my brother and sister when I was younger. XD_

_And thanks. Your suggestions are very welcomed. ;)_

_Thanks for your wonderful reviews._

**SangoMarie**

_Oops. That 'small jagged cut scar' sounded really weird, huh? Sorry._

_I think I failed big time on fixing this chapter. I first wrote it as being during day time, but then I decided it should be during the night, and then I got a bit confused… But the chapter is set during daytime. I'll fix that some other time. ;)_

_Thanks for your review and for pointing it out. ^^_

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**On with the story!**

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**Chapter XVIII – Magatsuhi's Influence**

When Inuyasha came back to the village, a bit calmer from 'past events' (or should I say, incidents), it was already nightfall. Hidden by the woods painted in orange and red from the sunset, no one saw him watching. Mirok, Sango, Kaede, Kirara and Jaken were getting in the hut, ready to start dinner. He saw Kagome, dressed in her normal clothes, talking with Rin and Shippou. His keen hearing could pick her saying that they should get inside, and they didn't need to worry about her, because she only wanted to be alone a bit. Again.

He sighed. Kagome had been wanting to be alone quite often lately. He didn't blame her though. Her mind was probably full of doubts. And now hesitation. When she got used to new realities, a new and hard one came up, forcing her to swallow it.

When the human and the kitsune ran inside the hut, he approached Kagome. His mind was bombarded with flashes of what happened earlier, and before he knew it, he was blushing again. Damn hormones! When were they ever gonna leave him alone?

He approached behind her, so she never noticed him. She was leaning on the fence, watching the sunset, too absorbed in her own thoughts.

"Kagome?"

She gasped and jumped, turning around with her eyes wide open. His ears fell in guilt.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

She sighed in relief and smiled.

"No problem. I was distracted anyway." She leaned her back on the fence, her hands holding the wood as she faced him. "I didn't sense you behind me."

"Must be…"

"…the seal, yeah."

"Yeah. Maybe that's it."

They looked at opposing directions, an awkward tension between them.

"So…" He looked up at her, his hands going inside his sleeves. "…how do you feel?"

"Well. I guess." She looked up at him too. "What about you?"

"I'm fine." He walked towards the fence and sat on it. "Hum… what have you been doing?"

She turned on the fence, leaning her elbows on it and looked up at him. He blushed and looked the other way. Again.

'_Man, this is ridiculous…'_

Kagome couldn't help but giggle. Inuyasha acted like a shy little boy sometimes.

'_What happened with the big bad and grumpy dog? He's become such a big cute sweetheart all of a sudden.'_ She though with a smile. "Don't need to worry, Inuyasha. The seal is not really hurting me."

He looked at her and hid a sigh of relief. But the saddened tone of her voice startled him next.

"I'm sorry."

"What for? There's no need to apologize." He looked at her.

"I..." She looked down at the herbs on Kaede's garden on the other side of the fence. "I'm just frustrated that I'm powerless now."

Inuyasha's eyes softened.

"Don't worry Kagome. We'll get your powers back."

Kagome was silent, and she never averted her eyes from that leaf that she found so 'interesting'.

"And besides..." Inuyasha looked away himself, to the ground and to the opposite direction she faced. "...if Naraku and Magatsuhi were really the ones who sealed your powers, there must be a good reason for it. They must really fear your abilities."

Kagome's eyes lifted a bit.

'_Am I... this powerful?' _Kagome stood straight and looked up at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha..."

He looked down at her, waiting to hear what she wanted to say. But their eyes locked, and whatever she had to say was lost in some place in the back of her mind. Inuyasha also forgot to question her about it.

They didn't look away, didn't move from their spot, and didn't share a single sound. Only thoughts swirled in their minds.

'_Inuyasha...' _Kagome thought. _'I know that I'm not the strongest of the team. I've never been. And I know that I could only survive in this era because you were always there to protect me. But even then, I still could fight.'_ Kagome felt tears starting to prickle at her eyes. _'I still could protect your back too.'_

Without thinking, and without a single word, Kagome approached Inuyasha, who was still seated on the fence, and hugged him tightly around the waist, burying her face against his chest.

"K-Kagome..." Taken aback at first, but relaxing next, he wrapped his arms around Kagome's shoulders in a soothing way.

"Inuyasha..." She said softly against his chest, but her voice faltered. "J-just hold me... please..."

"It's ok, Kagome." He whispered in her ear, trying to calm her down. "Everything will be fine. I promise."

'_Hannari lived a very long time ago. But I know that she was a very strong priestess. Even so she died.' _Relishing in his kind behavior, Kagome tried her best to let his words and his strength placate the fears of her heart. _'She sacrificed herself so that I could be here. So that I could make it all right. And I want to make it all right. But...' _Kagome's hands pressed more tightly against Inuyasha's back. _'I need you with me, Inuyasha, to do that. I won't be able to do that alone.'_

The cold night's wind blew at their hair and clothes. Inuyasha closed his eyes as he held his Kagome next to him, protecting her from the cold and from the loneliness and from the fear. And the miko, nestled within his arms, closed her eyes as well, feeling her Inuyasha's warmth and heartbeat lulling her.

'_But I don't want to lose you too, Inuyasha. I don't want you to sacrifice your life for me too. I want you to live. I NEED you to live!' _Kagome sighed. _'Everything... is just so much more than what I expected... I just pray... that we can pull this through.'_

Kagome pulled back a little, looking up at Inuyasha's eyes. But they never let go of each other.

"Inuyasha, I need to tell you something." She said. "It's about Hannari... and Magatsuhi."

He blinked, but didn't say anything. His eyes shone and his ears twitched atop his head. He was all ears to what she had to say.

Without letting go of each other, Kagome told him (cutting off a few parts) about what she saw when she was asleep. Inuyasha couldn't keep a low growl or two from escaping his throat, but he didn't say anything until she was finished. And by the time she was finished, she was so tired and emotionally exhausted, that he decided to stay quiet as he took her in his arms, and took her inside.

Most members of the group were already fast asleep. Jaken, keeping guard over Rin, eyed him with that disgusted and annoyed expression, to which Inuyasha gave no attention. Miroku, Sango and Shippou were already fast asleep. Kirara, curled up near her master, eyed them quietly, and Kaede just nodded welcomingly.

Two bowls of broth were next to the fire so that they wouldn't get cold. Inuyasha and Kagome looked at Kaede, who smiled and wished them good night, retiring herself to her own bed.

Setting Kagome down next to the fire, then sitting himself next to her, they both ate quietly, ignoring Jaken's silent glare.

Eventually, the green yokai got tired and went to sleep in a corner far enough from the other humans. Kirara also fell asleep, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha awake on their own.

When Kagome finished her meal and stood to get to bed, Inuyasha took her wrist and pulled her down again.

"What's wrong, Inu-...?" Before she could finish, the hanyou handed her his half filled bowl, and rested both of his fists in front of him on the ground, watching her intently. "Hum? What are you-...?"

"You haven't eaten anything since before the fight with Magatsuhi yesterday." He explained. "Eat it. You need it more than me."

Kagome's eyes widened. She knew for a fact that Inuyasha usually ate a lot whenever he got the chance. This bowl of broth? He would be able to slurp about twenty of those without getting a stomach ache. The bowl wasn't that big after all.

But the hanyou ate only half of it, keeping the other half for her. The bowl she ate was enough to placate her hunger, but if there was more she would surely ask for another round or two. Her stomach reacted to his kindness, as well as her heart. But she felt a sting of guilt for taking Inuyasha's part.

"No, Inuyasha. You need to eat too. You must be hungry." She tried to offer the bowl back, but Inuyasha pushed it back to her gently. She half expected him to comment something about weak human bodies needing more food than him, for which she had a prepared answer about the way he ate a lot, and already seeing the fight that would start there.

But it never happened. She was taken aback when he presented her with a smile, and nodded to the broth.

"Eat it." It didn't sound like an order. Or a request.

It sounded like a plea.

That, and that smile of his, did the trick. She just couldn't negate it anymore.

Feeling a bit guilty, she brought the bowl to her lips and slowly slurped the meal. She spied Inuyasha as she ate, and he kept surprising her: he was still smiling, as if the fact that her stomach was getting more food satisfied his own.

The bowl empty, she set it down and couldn't resist licking the tasty remains from her lips. The half demon watched in amusement and chuckled. That was obviously HIS habit.

'_I guess I'm rubbing off on her...' _He thought. And he loves the idea.

Kagome felt her stomach quiet down, more than happy. The incoming headache from lack of food that had been marching her way for some time now finally retreated. And looking up at Inuyasha's satisfied smile, she couldn't help but feel the need to thank him. In a way she couldn't remember ever doing before.

No need for standing or crawling his way. They were already pretty close next to each other. She just needed to lean to his side. He already expected a hug, and tensed his shoulders to support her light weight. But the only weight he felt was the one of her hand, and only for balance. The real surprise came soon after.

A wet and warm sensation against his cheek, it was like the touch of lips. He wasn't even sure if it really happened, because it soon vanished. He looked up, and Kagome turned with a smile, going for her sleeping bag. Watching her back, Inuyasha touched his cheek with a silly grin.

'_Did she just kiss me?'_

Oh yes, she did! He could feel the petal's touch still there, and his face heated up. He observed as the girl got settled in her sleeping bag, too shy to look at him.

"Good night, Inuyasha." She whispered, only loud enough for his keen hearing.

"Keh." He answered softly, crossing his arms and leaning his back against the wall. "Good night..." He stopped himself before adding the 'wench', changing it in the last second. "...Kagome."

He closed his eyes, but was pretty sure she smiled even without looking at her. He smiled too.

/\\\\\

Inuyasha's ears twitched nervously before he woke up in the middle of the night to soft low sounds that only he was able to hear.

He scanned the dark hut to see if the others were sleeping. Shippou, Rin, Jaken and Kirara lightly snored by the corner. Next to them, Kohaku was very silent as he slept, which worried Sango. She slept close to her brother, a frown of worry creasing her features even in her dreams. Miroku kept guard next to her, leaning against the wall with his staff at reach, and this time no silly grins marred his expression, like usual. When the situation called for it, he could be serious even in his dreams.

But when Inuyasha looked at Kagome, he felt a stabbing pain right through his heart at the sight.

Lying unmoving on her sleeping bag, she shed silent tears that rolled quietly down her cheeks and wetted her bedding. She struggled to keep from sobbing or moving too much, afraid that she might wake the others. Instead, she would stare at some point on the wall, with her eyes getting filled with tears, and when she couldn't take it anymore, she'd close them tightly for a few seconds and let the tears slide down her cheeks, wetting the fabric beneath her head even more.

Since she was just a few steps from him, he crawled towards her and sat near her sleeping bag, softly placing his hand over her legs to get her attention. She didn't move her head much, and looked up at him with sparkling grayish blue eyes filled of tears. It took his breath away.

"Can't sleep?" He asked softly.

She closed her eyes tightly, letting even more tears escape, and moved her head away, facing the wall 'above' her. She tried to draw her legs closer to her body, but Inuyasha's body was on the way (she was lying half on her side, half on her belly, twisting her middle to do so). He moved placed his hand on her shoulder, as if massaging it, and looked at her eyes. Sadness and fear. Those were the causes of the tears, and why she woke up. A nightmare.

He sat with his arms and legs crossed, with Kagome behind him and her legs by his side.

"Having nightmares, weren't you?" He said, staring at the embers that were left from the fire. She didn't answer, but he could hear her sniffling as quietly as possible. "The mark is tormenting your mind while you sleep, isn't it?"

He looked at her by the side of his eyes. She didn't move or look at him. Her eyes were locked on the wall, saddened and scared, her hands under her upper half fisting the mattress under her.

They were in silence for a few seconds before she got the courage to speak.

"I can't stop having nightmares about deaths..." She confessed. "Hannari... Hitomiko... Kikyou... Even Midoriko!" She tried to muffle a sob, not wanting to wake up the others. "He won't let me sleep."

Having insomnia is a thing. Being deprived from sleep when you really need it because of nightmares that terrify you half to death is another. Inuyasha knew that Magatsuhi was tormenting her through that mark. Inuyasha had realized some time ago that when someone died, Kagome always got disturbed by it. She's got used to it a little, but still she struggled to close her eyes at night. It enraged him to the point of driving him crazy, to know that Magatsuhi was taking advantage of Kagome's weak point. It was another taunting of that sick bastard spirit! To have Kagome being tortured right in front of him, and he couldn't stop it... It tortured him too. Tortured him through Kagome.

Breathing deeply, Inuyasha unfolded his arms and reached for Kagome. She didn't say a thing as he took her on his arms, sleeping bag, mattress and all, but she watched closely his actions. He sat on her place on the floor, his back to the wall, and adjusted her in front of him so she was nestled against his chest and between his legs.

She blushed lightly as she looked up at him questioningly, fresh tears still escaping her eyes. She was half lying, so he could look down at her and see her upside down. He blushed lightly himself, and was very thankful that the dim illumination of the hut wasn't enough for Kagome to see his pinkish cheeks.

But damn, how it made her beautiful! It highlighted her jet black hair and made her tear filled eyes sparkle like twin stars in the dark.

"Just trust me, wench." He said softly, so there was no mistaking about the name he called her, very rarely used lately. "If I'm closer to you, I can help you fight those nightmares. You'll be able to feel my aura close to you, and I'll make sure you feel safe." His arms tightened firmly around her to emphasize his statement.

Kagome blinked twice. And she smiled appreciatively despite the remaining tears running down her cheeks.

"Thank you, Inuyasha."

"Keh." He raised a hand to her cheek and wiped her tears away. "Just try to sleep, Kagome."

She closed her eyes as he wiped her tears away and watched him upside down for a few more seconds before finally closing her eyes and attempting to sleep.

Inuyasha almost seemed to be holding his breath as he watched with such concentration the young priestess.

When her heartbeat and breathing slowed to a calm pace a few hours later, signalizing that she had finally fallen asleep after so much trying, Inuyasha breathed more easily. The sun would be raising in a couple of hours. But at least Kagome was going home tomorrow, so she could have some time to rest, away from yokais and other threats.

As he allowed his mind to wander, Inuyasha let his head slowly fall back till he leaned it against the wall. Closing his eyes, everything started flashing in front of his eyes like a film. Ever since that fateful day when Kikyou had pierced his heart with an arrow to seal his life for 50 years, to be brought back by Kagome and to be involved in a quest to recover the jewel shards. Discovering truths and lies... allies and enemies... new powers and weaknesses... happiness and sadness...

They all have been through so much.

'_And to think...' _He chuckled to himself in thoughts as he looked down at his precious treasure, nestled in his arms. _'...that all this time... this annoying little human girl... could be a legendary priestess. She used to be so clumsy... and yet... she could capture my heart so easily...'_

Inuyasha always knew they both had feelings for each other. He knew that it hurt her whenever he went after Kikyou. But it was something he just had to do. It was a matter of honor to him, and honor was one of the few things he still had. And he knew that even though it hurt for Kagome to see him go, she understood and respected his reasons.

He also understood that Kikyou had become a part of his past. She had, even in death, moved on. And in that moment, when she died in his arms, she acknowledged that he loved Kagome, and he would move on too. They both accepted the fact that they weren't meant to be together. They never had.

'_But me and Kagome...' _He looked down at Kagome and hugged her closer. _'We are meant to be together. Ever since we met, we were destined for each other.' _Looking down at her peaceful face, Inuyasha made yet another vow towards her, even if she wouldn't hear it. _'I swear Kagome: once we take care of everything, we'll be together. I'll tell you how much you mean to me, and we'll never be apart again. Never! Nothing will ever separate us! Not Naraku, not Magatsuhi, or anyone else. Not the fact that I'm a hanyou, and not the fact that you're a star miko.'_

And yet they heard quite a lot that the path of a star miko is a very hard and complicated one.

Remembering the statue of Midoriko in the cave near Sango's village, Inuyasha noticed that she didn't look exactly like a woman who lived a very long life. She looked young, a bit older than Kagome. And Kagome also told him that Hannari, as she looked like in her dreams, seemed to be about the same age as she was.

No star miko had lived a long life. Not the first, and not the second.

They lived to fight.

They lived to protect.

They lived to die.

And they died young.

'_Keh!' _Inuyasha thought angrily for thinking like that. _'But I'll be damned if I'll let Kagome die like that. I'll make sure she'll be the first star miko to live the longest.'_

Looking down at her once again, Inuyasha leaned down and let his lips brush against her cheek in a feathery touch. Without taking his lips from her soft skin, he muttered almost soundlessly.

"I promise this to you, Kagome." He closed his eyes. "My beautiful Kagome."

Reluctantly pulling back, he made himself more comfortable against the wall, making sure that Kagome was also comfortable, and slowly drifted off to sleep, his nose close to her head so that he would sleep smelling her scent.

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**I was really thinking about finding a song to put with this chapter, but the next chapters are so packed with background songs that you might get tired. Save them for later then. :3**

**Please, remember to send your reviews and your suggestions. They are very welcomed and nothing get us, writers, happier than receiving a review. ^^**

**Bye everyone.**


	19. XIX Departure

**Hello, guys! :D**

**Here comes one more chapter for ya! I'm finally on the roll again. XD**

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**Reply to Reviews**

**SangoMarie**

_Oops. His name is spelled wrong, isn't it? That's an old mistake I did when I started the story: in Brazil, his name is spelled Mirok, and I grew used to it. I thought I had corrected all of these mistakes, but I guess some still slipped by. :S_

_There might be some other names spelled wrong, like Narak, Tessaiga, Tesseiga,… Please, forgive me. TT_

_That moment between those two made me blush and giggle at the same time while writing it. My dad thought I was going crazy. I loved it so much. I'm happy to see you enjoyed it too. ^^_

_Thanks for your review. It means so much to me. :3 _

**PrincessRini707**

_I know what you mean. They are so cute together. =^o^=_

_I'll make some special effort on getting every single moment of those two the more cute and fluffy. Like I saw in a meme on DeviantArt: (picture of Kagome and Inuyasha kissing) "And the Lord opened the skies and said: 'Let 10 million fangirls scream.' XD_

**Litle C**

_Thanks. :D_

_Now I'm in the middle of a week full of tests. And somehow I get inspiration to write exactly when I should bury myself in books to study. How crazy is that?:S_

_Thank you for your review. :)_

**KyoLoves94**

_Me too! T_T Rumiko! Why did you abandon us?! (cries like a baby)_

_I'm really happy to know that you like it. :D I was a bit uncertain at first about uploading it, but it really makes me happy to see that people are liking it. I'll do my best to make it even better. ;)_

_The mark is really bothering Kagome indeed. I think that Magatsuhi wants to weaken her mind through physiologic torture, nightmares, or something like that. But she feels safer with Inuyasha, so I guess that his presence at least will let her sleep in peace for the night. :3 Until Miroku finds them, that is. xDDD_

**Glon Morski**

_Really? Now I'm curious, what song was that? :3_

_I searched some songs from Kingdom Hearts, and I found a real good one. Maybe I'll use it in this story, or maybe the sequel. ;) Thanks a lot. If you know of a real epic song, would you please share with me? ^^_

_Kagome actually figured out that she was born and brought to the past for the solemn purpose of purifying the Shikon once and for all. But her future is uncertain after the jewel is taken care of. Will she die? Disappear? Be dragged back to the future?_

_She's worried that her very life is tied to the Shikon no Tama somehow. Of course, those are her own conclusions. They might be right or wrong. Let's see if Inuyasha will be able to keep his promise, huh? :3_

_Thanks for your review. ^^_

**Guest**

_Thank you very much. :D_

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**Soundtrack**

**(Minecraft – Living Mice)**

** watch?v=oGxQNQtnr6Q**

This song starts in a very low volume. It gets louder at 40 seconds. You can listen to it for the rest of the chapter for a better mood, starting from the mark. ;)

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**On with the story!**

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**Chapter XIX – Departure**

As the morning came with its cheerful sounds and scents, Kagome awoke peacefully from her slumber. She found herself lying in her sleeping bag.

Kaede and Miroku were sitting next to the fire drinking tea, both apparently just awaken. Sango was also stirring from her sleep, near Kohaku's still form. Kirara, Shippou and Rin were also asleep.

Jaken and Inuyasha were nowhere to be seen.

"Good morning." Kaede greeted her and the demon slayer. Miroku turned and smiled at them.

"Good morning, Kagome-sama, Sango. How was your night?"

Sango smiled and sat up, yawning sleepily. Kagome blushed, remembering the position she was last night in Inuyasha's arms. Did anyone see that? Well… Miroku's lecherous smile was focused on Sango, and he wasn't teasing her, so probably no. What a relief…

"It was good." She answered after some time, sitting up. _'Perfect, actually.'_

"It's good to know you're feeling better, Kagome-chan." Sango smiled at her.

"Did you sleep well too, Sango?" Kaede questioned gently, offering her some tea.

"Yes. Yes." The demon slayer smiled, accepting the tea. "Thank you."

Kagome yawned and stretched, reaching one of her arms over her shoulder, and the other towards the ceiling. She felt so good today.

"You seem to be in a good mod today too, child. Looks like you weren't bothered in the middle of the night." Kaede smiled.

Oh, but she was bothered. But Inuyasha's caring behavior towards her compensated everything. She felt so happy today that everything seemed to be going to be perfect.

Happily stretching her limbs, she got down to work putting her things away. She was supposed to go back to her time after all, staying away from Naraku and Magatsuhi for the time being, until the dust settled again. Taking advantage of that, maybe she could spend some more time with her family and friends, and of course, face a demon of her own: the admission test.

After finished putting her things away, and eating breakfast with her friends, she stood to go back to the well. Sango, Miroku and Shippou offered to escort her there.

"I'd like to accompany you too, Kagome, but I'm needed somewhere else. I'm sorry." Kaede apologized, standing up.

"Don't worry, Kaede-obaa-chan." Kagome smiled, and they all left.

Kaede turned and walked towards the Goshinboku after the others were away of sight. She already knew that Inuyasha was there. He didn't realize that she was awake when he woke up that morning, carefully placing Kagome on her sleeping bag and leaving soon afterwards. She saw his pensive look when he left, and she sensed that he needed to talk with someone. Thus, she was needed somewhere else.

'_That young hanyou is finally maturing.' _She thought with a smile.

/\\\\\

_(Background music: Minecraft – Living Mice (the volume is very low in the beginning. You can listen to the song for the rest of the chapter))_

The walk to the well was comforting for Kagome. Shippou ran in front of them, playing with butterflies and grasshoppers that appeared from the tall grass, since his playmate, Kirara, stayed with Kohaku to keep an eye on him. She talked calmly with Miroku and Sango, until he tried to touch the demon slayer where he shouldn't touch, and received a well deserved mark of her hand on his face as payment.

The sound of the hit spook some birds that were perched on the trees nearby, and Shippou stopped his hunting practice to look over his shoulder and roll his eyes.

"Baka..." The kitsune commented, before crouching low and aiming his next prey: a cricket.

Kagome giggled cheerfully at the scene. It all gave the impression that things were getting back to normal, and it comforted her. It took her mind away from the current difficult situation the group had been thrown at, and once again, her stress levels started lowering.

Distracted, she touched the purple stain that took the place of her birthmark on her chest, hidden under her shirt. For some reason, the skin on that spot had always been very sensitive, even when her birthmark had disappeared when she was still a child. But now that its place had been taken by Magatsuhi's mark, it felt different. She could feel the pressure of her fingers through the skin there, but for some reason, she felt like that part of skin didn't belong to her body. Like a piece of scotch tape that was glued there, irking her to the point of wanting desperately to yank it off. It kept nagging in her mind ever since yesterday, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it.

After a couple of minutes, the group arrived to their destination. The well was illuminated by the morning sun; some birds perched on top of it looking for their next meal. As soon as the animals spotted the humans and the yokai approaching, they flew off to a safer place. A gentle breeze made the grass and the foliage of the trees sway in a relaxing pattern, as the bird that had been in the clearing before started chirping inquisitively to each other.

With her friends surrounding the well, she set her backpack on the wooden structure, slowly, taking her time. And for the very first time... she didn't want to go back. She wanted to stay, to help, to be with the ones that became a second family to her. The ones she felt like belonging with.

'_Strange as it is...' _She thought, looking down the well as she sat on its side. _'When I need to go back and Inuyasha wants me to, I don't wanna go.' _She felt her lips quirk up in a smile._ 'He'd say I like to go against his wants.'_

She looked up at her friends, the three of them looking at her with a smile of their own. For her sake, they didn't look at her with worry in their features. She had been receiving a lot of those, and she was sick of that. Kagome was grateful for their understanding.

"I'm sorry I have to leave in such a situation, guys..." She apologized.

"Don't worry, Kagome-chan." Sango comforted her. "It's not your fault."

"We'll take good care of Kohaku." Miroku added. "You need to concentrate on your test on your world. You can leave the rest to us."

Kagome nodded.

"Kagome is leaving now, and where is that idiot?" Shippou looked around with a scowl. Kagome giggled, knowing that he was talking about Inuyasha.

"Don't worry, Shippou." She patted his head. "I talked with Inuyasha last night."

Shippou arched an eyebrow, but seemed satisfied with that.

She messed his hair, making him laugh, and she giggled pleasantly. Looking up at the others, she bid them goodbye.

"I'll be back as soon as I'm finished with the admission test." With that, she pushed off of the well wall, being engulfed in the light of the portal of time that was born from her antecessor.

/\\\\\

As Kaede predicted, Inuyasha stood under the shade of the great Goshinboku, watching as the wind blew at its branches. His eyes were lost and pensive, just like they were when he left the hut.

His figure was spotted with light spots that managed to go through the tree's thick foliage, and his amber eyes seemed to be lighter than before, due to the light and his apparently relaxed demeanor.

Kaede thought she would find him much tenser, but apparently, a night spent so close to his intended mate seemed to have calmed his restless mind. A bit.

"Kagome went back to her world." She informed him as she approached, standing a little behind him to preserve his space.

He looked at her, then turned around, but only halfway. His action spoke of greeting, but at the same time, of reservation.

"I know." He closed his eyes for a second. "I think she had to fight some kind of weak yokai for a test called 'admission test', or something like that."

Kaede frowned in worry.

"Do you think it's safe for her to go by herself then? She was sent home to avoid contact with yokais, remember? She's much vulnerable now."

"I wouldn't send her back there, without me by her side, if I knew it was dangerous, Kaede." He turned around again, his voice not sounding harsh, but rather reassuring. It was a tone of voice that the old miko rarely heard. "She will be fine." He looked up at the tree. "She's safe there."

Kaede nodded, and stood there in silence, letting Inuyasha lose himself once again in his thoughts.

'_Safe...' _He thought. _'Her world is much safer than mine.' _He sighed. _'The battle is continuing, and Naraku is getting more dangerous. Kikyou already lost her life, and left everything else to Kagome.'_

A gentle breeze started blowing, rustling the forest and moving his hair and clothes. It felt good, but his mind was too troubled to care.

'_But if Kagome loses her life like Kikyou did... I...' _A lump formed in his throat, too thick for him to swallow. And even in his thoughts, his inner voice seemed to sob in anguish. _'It will be better if Kagome stays at her own side that way. I... can't possibly live through this loss. If Kagome dies... I'll die with her.'_

Over the year they had spent together, Inuyasha felt like Kagome was an essential part of him. And he was a part of her. If one of them died, the other would have no reason to exist. He'd follow her into the next world if he had to, and she'd do the same with him, even if that was not what he wanted her to do.

But that was a fact just as simple and clear like the fact that gravity pulls you down.

'_We became so close together, right Kagome?' _He thought with a light smile, closing his eyes to enjoy the breeze. _'At first we couldn't even look at one another without glaring. We'd fight over the most stupid things all the time and bicker like two pups.' _He wanted to laugh at the reminiscence of some of their first argues. They were so silly... _'But even when I thought that I wanted to hurt you because I was so mad... I just couldn't. Sure I wanted to make you just as pissed off, but I couldn't lay a finger on you.' _He looked down at his claws. _'I still feel awfully guilty for trying to kill you when we first met. Thank Kami you were so clumsy that you tripped and fell to dodge that. I wouldn't live with myself if I had hurt you.'_

Inuyasha thought of all the good things that would happen once Naraku was dead. He could almost see it: two pups, a boy and a girl, running around him as they chased each other, while his mate laughed under the shade of a tree nearby, resting.

The thought came so quickly that he blushed to the point of leaving a tomato to shame.

'_Two pups... a family...' _He thought surprised with his own thoughts. _'Having a family with Kagome would be nice... amazing. But maybe we should wait. She's still too young to have pups...'_

It wasn't the first time Inuyasha imagined life with Kagome. But it was the first time pups came into the picture. Probably because he was almost coming off age, and he was almost reaching the age when inu males would start thinking about mating. In the yokai community after all, being 200 years old, he was just an angry teenager yet. Still would be for a couple of years yet... but not for too long.

And still, he knew that Kagome was three years away from coming off age in her human society, and he'd respect that period, and much more if that was what she wanted. As long as they were together, he wished for nothing more.

* * *

**Sorry for taking so long, guys. But it's weird really. I get my inspiration back at the most unfortunate of times: when tests are showering over my head, teachers shoving projects and problems for us to solve and I should be digging through piles of books, studying. Am I the only one suffering with such thing? ._.**

**One more thing. There's a part of the original story that I'm not sure if I should write about or not. I already skipped an episode on my story (the fight against Kaou) because nothing really changed in my story from the original plot. But someone said it felt like I had deleted mistakenly a part of the story, and it was a little weird.**

**So I was wondering if you guys would like me to write about this episode. It's the second half of episode 18, where Inuyasha tries to help the Higurashi family with a commemorative dinner. My story would follow exactly like the original plot on that part and nothing different would happen, but I can write it if you want me to. Just tell me on the reviews. ;)**

**That aside, let's take a peek on what will happen next chapter, shall we?**

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**Preview to Chapter XX**

_Did Kikyou entrust her with everything left because she somehow knew what Kagome truly was? Or was it a shot in the dark? Did she have any other choice?_

'Kikyou... do you really think I am capable of doing this?' _Kagome opened her eyes and looked towards the ceiling. _'You were far too strong and wise to make a mistake like that, but sometimes... I doubt myself. I... I don't think I can do it. I'm a... a failure.'


	20. XX The Secret of the Bow

**At long last! Freedom! No exams! No books! No grades! XD**

**I'm sorry for delaying this story once again, guys. I'll try to update it faster; it's my resolution for next year. XD**

* * *

**Reply to Reviews**

**SangoMarie**

_Oops. Sorry about that mistake. I really need to practice my English. :S_

_And in my humble opinion, good stories need to pull at your heart's strings. You must feel as if you're in the characters skin, feeling their emotions, no matter what it is. When I'm at my best, I try to work on every phrase, and separate the paragraphs as a way for the reader to 'take a breath'._

_Hopefully, with my vacations on the roll (YAY!), I'll get more chapters done and ready to go. :)_

_I'm glad for your review, your support, and that you're enjoying it. ^^_

_Sorry for the mistakes though._

**I love snowy owls**

_Good question, my friend. We shall find out soon enough. :)_

_Thanks for reviewing._

**LEA**

_It's finally here. :D_

_Sorry that I kept you waiting, and thanks for reviewing._

**Litle C**

_Yeah, it's really a pain sometimes. But it's finally over (for now), and I'm finally free to keep track of my stories. :3_

_Thanks for your review. ^^_

**Glon Morski**

_Good idea. Writing canon would take me a whole chapter, and I really didn't feel like watching the episode and writing it down. So I took your idea and wrote it all in a few lines. Thanks for the hint. :)_

_It's funny, if not sadly. Vacations are finally on the roll around here, and my inspiration is still missing. :c During my finals, it was dancing right in front of me, and now it's gone again. TT_

_Guess your right: it's the authors' curse. Lol_

_By the way, this chapter will answer a question you asked me a loooong time ago, about the Goshinboku. It's a bit vague yet, but hopefully it will be clearer by the end of the story. I'll try my best to update faster. The main scenes are ready, I just need to write the connections._

_Thanks for reviewing. :)_

**Inuxkag fan 14**

_Don't worry about it. That scene is almost done, and my brain had been working feverishly on that one. XD_

_I just want to say that I'm not writing about everything that happened in the real plot, and also I'm adding a few things. But I hope you're enjoying the story, if you don't mind the spoilers of course. :P_

_Thanks for your review. ^^_

* * *

**That said, shall us move on to what really matters here? :P**

**On with the story!**

* * *

**Chapter XX – The Secret of the Bow**

The day dragged on. Kaede went to attend to the villagers, while the group stayed close to the hut to keep watch over Kohaku.

Sango prepared tea for the others, while Miroku and Inuyasha were talking as they sat under a close by tree. Rin was playing with flowers, dancing around Jaken who was sitting like a statue on the ground, a frown fixated on his face ever since he came here. It seemed like his features were stuck like that, and Shippou kept making fun of that. Until the little imp got enough of the cub, that is, and started chasing the fox around, swinging his staff over his head. Kirara would look up from her perch on Miroku's lap, and then go back to her nap in disinterest. Ah-Uhn stood a little away, grazing lazily.

It was pretty much a calm day, betraying the storm that was in everyone's minds.

"So according to Kagome-sama, the Goshinboku has something to do with Hannari's death?" Miroku asked for a confirmation.

"She's been having these dreams and illusions ever since all this stuff with star mikos and seals started." Inuyasha answered, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he gazed at the ground. "She's restless. She can barely sleep anymore." He remembered what happened last night with a twist of pain in his chest.

"Kaede told me so when you were gone yesterday." Miroku nodded. "She said the loss of her powers stressed Kagome's body and soul just as it does when you lose your powers during the night of the new moon."

"Keh."

"Everything is happening to fast for Kagome-sama. It's no wonder she wanted to go back to her time. She needed a break to breath after so much." Miroku smiled while counting his ofudas. Inuyasha eyed him carefully, especially the holy seals. "But it's strange really. As a person instructed on the matter, I would say that Kagome is being watched and accompanied by some sort of spirit that wants to show her some things." Miroku patted Inuyasha's tense shoulders. "No need for worries, my friend. I am not referring to Magatsuhi."

"Keh." Inuyasha tried to swallow a growl at the mention of that name.

"From the amount of information we heard on star mikos, and from the looks of it, it's very clear that they have an uncommon connection to each other that goes even beyond death and time. Kagome-sama saw Hannari and heard her saying her name in dreams. And Kagome-sama could also tell that what she saw wasn't a dream, but a memory." Miroku looked up at Inuyasha. "Knowing all of this, I wouldn't be surprised to know that Hannari's soul has come back from the other world to guide Kagome and tell her what she needs to know."

"Miroku, you once told me that spirits can possess objects or living beings to be able to interact with this world. And you can interact with them if they cooperate." Inuyasha wondered. "If Hannari is really Goshinboku, do you... think..."

"I doubt that." Miroku shook his head. "When a spirit possesses something or someone, a person spiritually prepared could easily detect it. That tree, whenever I get close to it, I admit that I feel an unusual feeling of harmony and peace, but Goshinboku does not host any spirit. But I could go as far as to presume that Goshinboku might serve as a connection for Hannari to this world."

"What do you mean?"

"Spirits can't wander the world of the living without a reason, Inuyasha. Some stay because of a strong emotion they had felt when they died, or a strong sense of responsibility towards a task unfulfilled. Maybe the Goshinboku symbolize that sense of responsibility from Hannari. We might never know."

Inuyasha nodded, thinking about the probability of that. It was hard to come up with something concrete when the subject was a kind of priestess that no one knows anything about.

They stayed in silence for a couple of minutes, watching Shippou and Jaken bickering while Rin drew things on the ground with a stick. Ah-Uhn looked up in interest at a greener patch of grass.

"For goodness sake! What a boring day!" Sango complained, bringing a tray of tea for them. She set it down next to Miroku and sat with a soft thud a few feet from him. Kirara looked up, meowed and leaped to her master's lap.

"May I ask what's bothering you in this beautiful day, Sango?" Miroku asked good natured.

"Sorry, monk. It's just that there's nothing to do now that-... Keep those hands away from me, pervert!" She hissed, eyeing his twitching fingers inches away from her rear.

"Why such mistrust, dear Sango? I wouldn't even think-..."

"Shut up, monk. You think about it all the time." Inuyasha yawned, apparently getting Sango's boredom as well. Unceremoniously, he stood and walked towards the forest. "I'll take a walk. Try not to kill each other until then."

"Hey! Don't leave me here with this pervert!" Sango growled, regretting leaving her weapon back in the hut.

"Now, now, Sango. Let's just relax and-..."

"ARGH! YOU CRETIN! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!"

Inuyasha sighed as he heard the sounds of Sango beating up the poor monk to a pulp behind him. They had joined his pack for almost a year already, and they didn't change anything. He doubted they would change even after married.

"_Of course they will change. They can't be like this forever."_ Kagome had said once, and he prized her with a cynical stare that even she started doubting herself. _"Or maybe they will..." _She stated afterwards, almost making him laugh at her face.

The thing is, those two were just that: two idiots who couldn't get along with one another, but wouldn't live without each other either.

Before he knew it, he was once again under the Goshinboku. But this time, he didn't see it as just a tree that symbolized so much of his life. It was a tree that watched over the destiny of many.

'_Star mikos have the power to change the fate of others, according to what it's supposed to be.' _He recalled Hitomiko's words. _'Could it be... that Hannari's spirit incarnated as a tree to continue changing our destiny?'_

A gentle breeze swayed Goshinboku's leaves, and a sense of tranquility washed over Inuyasha like a comforting blanket. Closing his eyes for a moment, he let that peace enter his heart and soul.

/\\\\\

Kagome sighed, looking down at the notes spread all over her desk. Physics, chemistry, math,... even history barely made sense anymore. And she was a time traveler, right? She should know more than that!

"I'm such a shame to my family..." Groaning, she banged her head against the open book. "I don't work, I can barely study, my grades are even lower than Naraku's antics..." Covering the back of her head with her hands, she continued with a frown. "I can't fight... I can't purify a single shard... Heck, I can barely detect them now! I'm even more of a burden to my friends than I have ever been!"

Feeling that annoying sensation on her chest again, she gingerly touched the spot where the mark was sitting, before pulling back and standing with fisted hands.

"Stop thinking like that, Kagome! Kaede warned you that this mark would try and bring you down!" Determined to fight off the influence of Magatsuhi, she went down to the kitchen, hoping to prepare something tasty to get her head out of things.

But as she placed a pot of water to boil on the stove, her head jumped from Magatsuhi to her missing family. Looking at the note they left for her on the table, frustration started overcoming her again.

_Dear Kagome,_

_We won a trip to some hot springs on a raffle. We'll be back in a couple of days, dear. There is food in the freezer for you and your friends if you need it, and there's a box of noddles in the cupboard for Inuyasha. Take care._

_Mama, Jii-chan and Souta._

'_It's so lonely without them here.' _She lowered her face, the room getting a bit too big for her liking. _'But can I blame them? They have no idea when I'm coming back. I can't just expect them to wait for me at home for months on end.' _She curled herself on her place on the table, eyeing the missing places were her family used to sit during every meal of the day. Sitting there for lunch without them there… without Jii-chan talking about some ancient relic guarded by the family, and being completely ignored as Mama asked her about how her friends on the other side of the well were doing, and Souta begging for stories about her adventures… it all seemed so strange and wrong. She was raised with the strong tradition of always getting the family together for the meals.

But then again, when was she there with them during the meals? She broke that tradition long before they did.

"That's stupid." She groaned to herself. "I wasn't here because I have important things to do in the Sengoku Jidai. It's not my fault!" She hissed to the mark on her chest, pushing those bad feelings away from her head.

Sighing, she threw her upper half on the table, frowning in boredom. What was there to do here now? Her family was away, today was Sunday, her friends weren't home and she didn't have a cell phone to call them. And her notes weren't of any help for her, for the longer she looked at them, the more confusing they became.

"I barely feel like I belong here anymore... And this is where I was born. What has happened with me?" Blinking, she smiled sadly. "Oh, I know. I went to the Feudal Era, messed up everything, got in the way of two love birds,..." She cringed, remembering her promise to Kikyou. _'That's right... when Kikyou was dying, she entrusted me everything. I promised her I would see this fight to the end. I would finish her duty and become a priestess in her place.' _Kagome closed her eyes, delving into her own thoughts. _'Not only that... but it's my obligation as a star miko. I was born to completely purify the evil from the Shikon no Tama, and end this endless sequence of chaos.'_

Kagome realized, that if not for the fact that she was a star miko born with a set purpose, she'd doubt Kikyou's decision was the right one. Did Kikyou entrust her with everything left because she somehow knew what Kagome truly was? Or was it a shot in the dark? Did she have any other choice?

'_Kikyou... do you really think I am capable of doing this?' _Kagome opened her eyes and looked towards the ceiling. _'You were far too strong and wise to make a mistake like that, but sometimes... I doubt myself. I... I don't think I can do it. I'm a... __a failure__.'_

Kagome felt a painful twist in her heart, almost making her gasp. Her thoughts shattered like glass, and she blinked in surprise. She felt like something heavy had been lifted from her chest, letting her breathe easier and her mind felt lighter too.

"S-since when did I become so pessimist?" She clenching her teeth, angered with herself. "Kikyou, Hannari and Hitomiko sacrificed themselves because of me! I can't step back like a coward! I promised them!"

She felt that determination waver again, and that heavy sensation wanting to come back. Bringing one hand up to her chest, she dig her nails against the skin, where the mark of Magatsuhi was warm and pulsing with her heart. He was mocking her again.

"I will not lose to you, Magatsuhi!" She swore. "YOU WILL NOT CONTROL ME!"

/\\\\\

When Inuyasha entered the hut, he knew that Kaede was back from the village. It was almost sunset, and the last rays of sun bathed his back warmly.

Inside the small shack, he saw Kaede holding the long sacred bow of Mount Azusa on her lap, her fingers caressing the smooth wooden surface painted red.

But what really got his interest was the soothing barely seen red aura oozing in waves from the weapon, covering the floor of the hut like some kind of mist. It danced around his ankles and spoke of great holy power. It was so strong, that he knew if it meant to purify him, he'd be turned to ashes by now. But it did him no harm, even though he was a half-demon. How could this be possible?

Kaede seemed to notice his presence, opened her eyes and looked up at him. At the same time, the bow pulsed and the light red aura vanished as if it was never there. But Inuyasha could still feel a warm sensation around his ankles.

"This is a peculiar bow indeed." Kaede commented, turning her eyes to the bow in her hands. "Ever since Kagome left, the power within it started acting on its own accord, reaching through all over the village. Only those of spiritual powers can sense it, but I assume you did feel an example just now, am I right?"

"That red warm aura..." Inuyasha sat down in front of Kaede across the unused fire pit. "Does this bow have a will of its own, Kaede?"

"I can't tell you that, Inuyasha." She shook her head. "But it certainly knows who it belongs to. It is searching for its master, craving to be held by them." She looked up and smiled. "No doubt it's the item of a star miko, and can only be wielded by its master. Kagome was destined to wield this bow."

Inuyasha felt something warm building up inside him. If Kagome was destined to have this sacred bow, what other reason would it be for it to be guarded 500 years in the past? Kagome belonged here. Right next to him.

That realization killed an old fear he had in his heart: that Kagome would, one day, have to return to her own world and never come back.

"There is something I don't understand. Being a holy relic, shouldn't its power attempt to purify my youki?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

"Indeed." Kaede agreed. "But the bow is not trying to purify anyone. It's just seeking its master. And besides… I believe that star mikos' power can act on jyaki alone. Since not every yokai is evil in its essence, this bow does not seek to purify you, or yokais like Shippou and Kirara."

"Does it mean that star mikos can differ jyaki from youki and purify only the evil part of a yokai?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

"As you know, Inuyasha, jyaki is a form of corrupted youki. The stronger the yokai, the stronger is its youki, and the stronger is the evil in its heart, the stronger is the jyaki. Some yokais barely have any youki, for their evil turned it all into jyaki. That's the case of Naraku." Kaede explained. "Normal mikos such as myself don't have the ability to differ jyaki from youki, even thought we can sense the evil in a yokai's heart. We can't act on only a single part when we have to purify or exorcise a demon."

Kaede stopped for a second so Inuyasha could think over what she was saying.

"Star mikos such as Kagome, however, seem to have been blessed with this ability. They can purify only the jyaki of a yokai, but depending on its state, there might be not enough youki left for the demon to survive." She continued. "Humans don't have jyaki, because they don't have youki in the first place. But that doesn't mean that we are from evil. That's where star mikos ability becomes a completely different matter from anything we know."

"You're trying to tell me that they can purify even humans?!" Inuyasha gasped, impressed.

"That's correct." The old miko nodded. "Star mikos can purify evil itself in its pure essence. Once Kagome's powers are released, she will become Naraku's utmost enemy." Kaede silenced for a few seconds, looking down at the bow. "She's the key to the demise of the Shikon no Tama. No matter how many priestesses tried to purify it, only she has the ability to accomplish it. Kikyou always tried her best to completely purify that jewel, and to find out now that no matter how much she sacrificed to do it, she would never succeed..." Kaede closed her eyes. "At some point, it pains me to realize that my sister suffered for nothing. But I'm glad this nightmare is coming to an end."

"Kaede… what do you think will happen to Kagome once the Shikon is gone?"

Kaede stiffened at Inuyasha's question. That's what Kagome feared: if Inuyasha finds out that Kagome might have been born for the solemn purpose of ridding their world of the Shikon…

"…" Everything that Kagome had revealed to them the day before came rushing to Kaede's mind, but she quickly pushed them back. She had made a promise to the young girl. "If the Shikon is purified, Kagome's duty as a star miko will be over. She will probably become a normal priestess then."

"A priestess like Kikyou?" Inuyasha flinched at his own thought.

"Inuyasha, I want you to know that the life of a priestess is not filled of sadness and sorrow like you think it is. My sister's suffering came from the Shikon." Kaede looked up at the hanyou. "And besides, I would appreciate it if you stopped comparing Kagome with Kikyou. Both of them would appreciate it too."

Inuyasha lowered his eyes.

"I'm not comparing them, Kaede. I'm just... afraid for Kagome's sake." His golden eyes got deep with melancholy. "Day by day, I see my Kagome walking the same path as Kikyou. All this star miko stuff, and now that bastard Magatsuhi… Her spirit is dying, and I don't see her smiling like she used to." He looked up, a hidden dread shimmering in his eyes. "She's in pain, Kaede. A pain that I can't save her from."

"Inuyasha…" Now she could really see how Inuyasha had matured over the time he had spent with Kagome and the others. He was no longer that selfish and arrogant hanyou from fifty years ago. He became someone better, caring for others and sharing his fears, knowing that it didn't mean weakness.

The old miko looked down at the bow, wondering if there was another way they could help Kagome. She knew that Kagome couldn't fight back Magatsuhi's influence and wait for Sesshoumaru to defeat him. They had to find a way to help Kagome, and quick.

"Take this bow to Kagome." Kaede lifted the bow in her hands towards Inuyasha. "It also has a great power against evil within it. I believe that just like Tetsusaiga and you, the Bow of Mount Azusa will create a bound to Kagome's heart, and aid her against Magatsuhi's force." She handed the weapon to Inuyasha, who could feel the wooden surface warm in his hands. "It will also clear her mind and aid her in the fight against that 'Admission Test' you spoke of."

Inuyasha looked up at Kaede and nodded, before standing and leaving the hut.

Kaede sighed and looked down at the square of dirt where she would later start a fire.

"I just pray that with the bow, you'll be alright, Kagome."

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**Really, I wouldn't say that this chapter is short. But it's not long either. ._.**

**What do you think guys?**

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**Preview to Chapter XXI**

"_Kagome! What the hell are you doing?" Inuyasha shouted, grabbing her wrist in an iron grip. "Stop it! Stop it now!"_

"_Inuyasha, let me go!" She cried. "You're hurting me!"_

"_You're hurting yourself!" He replied_

_(…)_

"_Kagome..." Inuyasha's expression softened. Taking her uninjured hand with his own, he got her attention back to him, and looking at the depths of her startled stormy blue eyes, he vowed with all of his heart. "If that's your choice, then I shall protect you with my life. For you, I'll fight till my last breath."_

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**MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! :D**


	21. XXI An Understanding

**Hey guys. I think I'm cursed to be late on everything in my life. Late on school, late on college, and even late on updating my stories. I'm very sorry. :c**

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**Reply to Reviews**

**Glon Morski**

Hum… yeah. I think that's pretty much of what Kagome would be doing now. But Inuyasha doesn't think that hurting herself will fix things with the mark and all. But it really is bothering her, so she thinks that it would be easy to… well, I think the chapter will explain it better than I can. XD

And the Goshonboku… it's really hard to explain. Maybe even I don't have answers for that. :/ But hey, it does count for a little mystery in the story, right? :D Well… at eleast I hope it does.

Thanks for reviewing. ;)

**LEA**

Thanks! :D

I've been considering that idea, writing a book… but I don't think I've got thaaaaat much of a talent. And neither much time. :/

But who knows, right? Never say never. :D

I appreciate your review. ^^

**PurpleGoddess9**

Thanks! :D

**Guest**

Thank you! ^^

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**On with the story**

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**Chapter XXI – An Understanding**

When Inuyasha entered the house, he noticed that it was much quieter than normal. Usually it was bursting with activity at this hour, with Souta playing with that magic black box called TV, the old man praying loudly on the temple, and her mother starting dinner, with that fat cat sitting nearby mewing for food.

But the hanyou only found Buyo up to now, lazing around the house. And there was no smell of food either.

Maybe there was no one home? No. Kagome's scent was fresh. But he noticed that her scent was the only one fresh. She had been alone at home all this time.

'_Why didn't she come back then?' _Inuyasha wondered as he entered her room through the window like always, noticing a bunch of books piled open on her desk_. 'Studying like a crazy wench, of course. Typical Kagome.' _Inuyasha rolled his eyes and smirked. It was a relief to see something typical Kagome after all this mess started.

But his smirk vanished once his nose picked the scent of blood. HER blood. Not too much of it, but it already sent him on edge.

He left the bow he came to give her on the bed and dashed out of the room to the corridor, and sniffed the air carefully, searching. The smell came from down the corridor: the bathroom. The light was on there.

Once he reached the door, he froze in shock.

Kagome was in front of the mirror dressed in a light blue robe, part of her chest exposed enough to reveal that hauting mark and her pale cleavage. But what really surprised him was that she was furiously rubbing a not so soft sponge on the mark, in a futile attempt to get rid of it. She seemed so focused on the task that she never noticed his presence. Or the pain of scraping her own skin, leaving crimson flesh still marked in purple.

"Kagome! What the hell are you doing?" Inuyasha shouted, grabbing her wrist in an iron grip. "Stop it! Stop it now!"

"I-Inuyasha?!" She murmured startled, the reddish sponge almost slipping from her hand. Almost. Closing her eyes tightly, she fought fursiously against his grip. "Let me go!"

"No!" His grip tightened. "I won't let you do it to yourself, Kagome! Stop now!"

"Inuyasha, let me go!" She cried. "You're hurting me!"

"You're hurting yourself!" He replied, making sure to loosen the grip just a bit.

"You don't understand! I gotta get rid of this mark!"

"I already told you, Kagome: this mark means nothing! Nothing will change just because that bastard left a mark on you!"

"I'm sick of his voice in my head! I'm sick of his taunting glare in my sleep!" As they struggled against each other, the soapy water on Kagome's hand went to her wrist, and with a simple twist, she freed herself from the strong hanyou's grip. "I'M SICK OF THIS!" And feeling all the stress of the past few weeks coming all at once, she fisted her hand and sent a punch right into the mirror, shattering it to pieces and dividing her images into many shattered parts, each of them encountering a purple spot exactly where her fist landed, reflection of that cursed mark.

Inuyasha once again froze in shock, till the stronger smell of blood awoke him again. But this time, he wasn't sure what he should do. She stopped moving, so holding her to prevent her from hurting herself further wasn't necessary. And besides, he never saw Kagome like this. He never saw a reaction this… radical from her.

"Baka..." He murmured softly, reaching his hand to hold her wrist. Her only response was a sob of mixed pain and boiling emotions. Her eyes, covered by her bangs, let tears fall on the sink. Her shoulders started shaking lightly.

Inuyasha grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her hand from the broken mirror. Some pieces had pierced her hand, and there was a bit of blood on the broken glass where her knuckles had landed. Inuyasha didn't want to offend or make her feel guilty, so he kept his mouth shut as he guided her to sit on the closed toilet seat, and knelled in front of her. As gently as he could, he started removing the pieces of glass from her hand with his claws, his ears lying flat to his skull with her pained whimpers.

"Why are you doing this to yourself, Kagome?" He asked without looking at her.

Kagome groaned in pain and answered.

"I'm tired, Inuyasha. Really tired." She paused when Inuyasha leaned forth to lick her hand clean of the blood. Her blush would be more vivid if she wasn't so distressed. "All these things that had happened lately... Magatsuhi and my powers being sealed... I'm just frustrated with all of this..."

"We all are, Kagome." Inuyasha said as he pulled back to examine her hand. Pulling the sleeve of his fire rat robe and revealing the white kosode underneath, he used his fang to rip a shred out of it before Kagome could protest. "But you can't let a bastard like him get to you like this. You're stronger than that."

"Inuyasha, it's not only because of Magatsuhi or the mark." Kagome crossed her free arm in front of her torso, as if hugging herself. "It's about me and my powers too. I'm confused."

Inuyasha looked at her, and his ears flattened. He never saw Kagome so broken, so troubled. She was taking in too much too fast. Finding out she wasn't an ordinary priestess, and that her true powers had been sealed before she was even born. To think that her powers were awoken when Kikyou died, and they had to be sealed again so they wouldn't kill her. Then all of a sudden, this bastard appears out of nowhere to completely seal Kagome again, stealing something that was all hers and leaving behind that stupid mark to remember her that she was powerless. To torment her. To make her reach _this_ point.

"You must be feeling completely lost without your powers." He commented. He looked up to see her surprised expression. "I know how it feels. New moons, remember?"

"Oh." She looked down in understanding. "Sorry, I… didn't know you felt… you know, like this."

"Helpless?" He suggested and she nodded. "It's only natural to feel that way when something that you were born with is taken from you. I understand that feeling more than anyone, Kagome, and you should know that."

"Sorry. It's just… hard to explain. I mean…" She sighed in defeat. She really didn't have words to explain how she felt.

"You don't need to explain, Kagome." He looked at her. "We understand each other, don't we?"

Kagome nodded and looked at his hands, that were taking care of her own.

Inuyasha sighed. He too felt powerless. He promised to protect her, to keep her safe, but right now, there was nothing he could do to help. Only his half-brother could defeat Magatsuhi. And till there, they both were stuck with that cursed mark haunting, tormenting them.

After finishing bandaging her injured hand, Inuyasha stood and mutely offered a hand to help her stand. She accepted, eyes down in shame. But as soon as she stood, Inuyasha pulled her into a strong embrace, pressing her head against his shoulder with one hand, and the rest of her body with the other hand on the small of her back.

"Inu…yasha?" She asked confused and surprised. It felt like that time when they were separated because of Menomaru's return. Now she had the impression that it happened an eternity ago.

"Do you trust me, Kagome?" His question broke her thoughts.

"Of course I trust you, Inuyasha!" She was surprised that he still doubted. After everything they went through…

"Then give me some time. Just a little of time, and I will take that mark out of you. I promise you this, if you promise me something too."

Kagome stepped back from him, searching his eyes, and silently questioning what promise he wanted her to make.

"Promise me you will be patient, and won't try anything to take off that mark that might hurt you."

They looked at each other, losing themselves at each other's gaze. Kagome then smiled a little.

"I promise." She leaned forth and rested her head against his chest, hearing his heartbeat slow down as he relaxed in relief. "I promise." She repeated. "Sorry if I upset you."

"Don't worry about it." He placed his arm around her shoulder and guided her out of the bathroom and to her room. "You're ok now, aren't you? Does your hand hurt?"

"No, I'm fine." She brought her hand up and looked at it with a lovingly expression. "You take such good care of me. Where would I be without you…"

Inuyasha blushed.

When they got to the room, Inuyasha went near her bed, and obediently turned away so that Kagome could get dressed.

"W-where's your family anyway?" He asked still looking at the wall. His ears turned back towards her, he could head her sighing, half annoyed, half sad, as he heard the rustling of clothes. Keeping his imagination at bay was a real challenge, and even more a challenge was not to look at the reflection of the window.

"They went on some trip to some hot springs."

"So you're all by yourself?"

"Yes." She walked towards the bed after she finished, wearing a red checkered skirt and a white sweater. He turned towards her, seeing her sitting on the ground with her back to the bed and bringing her legs closer and wrapping her arms around them. This position usually meant that she was upset about something.

'_She's lonely…'_ He realized. "Baka. Why didn't you just come back?" He scolded, sitting next to her on the floor.

"It's just… I could come back only now and… it's been a long time since the last time I was here. I've got school tomorrow, and my family might be back soon."

Inuyasha's eyes softened. And saddened.

"You really like this world, don't you, Kagome?"

She eyed him confused by his question.

"'Course I do. This is where I was born and raised, and where my family and friends are. It's only natural for me to like it here. It's my homeland."

"I see…"

Kagome was confused. Where did he want to get with all of this?

"Why are you asking me this, Inuyasha?"

"I was just thinking… Don't you want to stay here till the battle with Naraku is over?"

Kagome was taken by surprise, and also by a feeling of déjà vu. It happened once. He already tried to make her stay away from danger, by rudely shoving her inside the well and throwing a tree inside it too. That was far from gentle, and opposite to this. He was asking her if she wanted to stay on her side of the well… a place that always brought up fights, bickering and countless 'osuwaris' between them. He was asking her to… stay in that place. W-what?!

She approached and touched a hand to his forehead and the other to her own. Just to be safe. Maybe he had hit his head somewhere? Who knows.

"Hum… no fever."

Ok. Now that wasn't exactly the reaction he expected. He expected a party from her side, not her checking his temperature. What did she think he was? Stupid?

"I'm serious about it, wench! Damn!" His words sounded harsher than intended, but he had a feeling that wasn't the cause of her turning her back to him.

"I see… So you don't need me there anymore." Her wounded hand started drawing imaginary patterns on her bed. "Then you will go on some trip to some hot springs with the others."

Ok, now she was the one being stupid.

"Erm… no, I'm not going to any hot spring with the others." He crossed his arms and looked straight ahead. Surely she wasn't like this because of the mark now, was she? That's when he spotted… wait. Shikon no Tama?

"Hey, Kagome." He called, reaching forth and grabbing the jewel. "This… is false, isn't it?"

Kagome turned and looked at the dangling charm in Inuyasha's hand.

"Yes, it's one of the amulets we sell here in the temple." She confirmed with a nod.

"Maybe Magatsuhi sealed your powers because that was what Kikyou wished for when she was alive."

"W-what?"

"At first, the Shikon wasn't good or evil. It only depended on its owner. And when I and Kikyou had hurt each other, and she dies afterwards because of Naraku, she had no intention on reincarnating. If Kikyou really wished to seal the Shikon, then it means that the Shikon guaranteed her desire to never fight again."

'_Does it mean that the Shikon only sealed my powers because it twisted a wish that Kikyou made?' _Kagome thought. "My grandpa once told me: 'Once the last person to hold the Shikon no Tama make the right wish upon it, then the jewel shall purify itself and disappear.' If this was really what Kikyou wished for, then it wasn't the right wish."

Kagome looked down, the hanyou's gaze trained on her.

"And besides… I promised Kikyou…" Kagome sighed and closed her eyes. "I must do it. Kikyou wanted me to finish what she started. I promised her I'd do it. And Hannari…" She felt the urge to change the subject. "Do you think I'll get stronger once the seal is broken, Inuyasha?"

"So you do wanna fight." That was no question.

"It's a matter of honor and responsibility. My honor to Kikyou, and my responsibility as a star miko. I need to get stronger to fulfill them both, and then I can stay with you guys." Kagome opened her eyes and looked at the half demon, trying to soothe the tension with a smile. "Thank you, anyway. You were just worried about me all along, weren't you?"

"Y-yes... I guess... Of course..." He admitted, and this time, to his surprise, he wasn't blushing. It just... felt right sharing things, his emotions and worries, with her.

Kagome shifted closer to him, leaning against his side.

"Then just let me stay with you."

Inuyasha looked at her lost expression as she gazed at some unknown point on the other side of the room. He could clearly see she was still upset about her powers, but she wasn't as disturbed as before. She looked calm, serene. Beautiful. She trusted him. She loved him.

"Kagome..." Inuyasha's expression softened. He loved her too. Taking her uninjured hand with his own, he got her attention back to him, and looking at the depths of her startled stormy blue eyes, he vowed with all of his heart, using a deep and husky tone of voice that he, somehow, knew she liked to hear from him. "If that's your choice, then I shall protect you with my life. For you, I'll fight till my last breath."

Shocked by his words, his actions, and the emotions mixed in that phrase and in his eyes, Kagome lost herself in the soft golden gaze of his. It was like he had enchanted her, stopping any and every reaction she might show. He tightened his hold on her hand, and his other arm circled her waist, pulling her closer against his body. His face was also getting closer. And hers too. Slowly, their eyelids started closing. Their heartbeats accelerated and encountered each other's rhythm. Their lips were mere inches apart, and they could already feel each other's heat and taste. Inuyasha moved a tad closer, his upper lip brushing her upper lip like the touch of a feather. She sighed and apro-…

"WE'RE HOME!"

They widened their eyes, looking at each other in utter astonish, like they had just been hit by a shower of icy cold water. Their upper lips were still feathery touching, but sadly, the enhanced moment was already spoiled.

"NEE-CHAN, YOU'RE BACK!"

Fully awake now, Kagome jumped back, reaching forth with both hands, grabbing Inuyasha by the back of his head, and pushed him down with all of her might. The effect was scarily similar to the kotodama magic.

"Hum… what are you two doing?" Souta asked from the entrance of the room.

"Wha…? I…! We…!" Kagome gagged, still pushing Inuyasha's face against the carpet, blushing like a tomato.

"Kagome?" Her mother came behind Souta and peeked inside the room, not fazed by Inuyasha's face planted on the carpet. "Oh, hello, Inuyasha-kun. It relieves me to see you weren't alone, Kagome."

"I wish you had come with us…" Kagome's grandfather said with a dreamy tone from the corridor.

Kagome stood and went to hug her mother.

"Well…" She smiled. "You guys could have enjoyed your trip even some more."

She sweat dropped with her own phrase, and she heard Inuyasha snort behind her. She hugged her grandpa as well, and when she looked at Souta…

"Come here, otouto-kun." She smiled rather scarily as she approached him, cracking her knuckles against the palm of the other hand. "I missed you too, didn't I?"

"N-n-nee-chan? W-w-why are you looking at me l-l-like that?"

"Souta, my little baby brother, come here. Come here with ne-chan, I'm not… I'm not gonna hurt you."

But Souta was smarter than that. He turned on his heels and bolted through the corridor and downstairs, his older sister hot on his tail. He cried out in despair as he sprinted through the house like a mice running from a hungry cat.

Inuyasha sat on the bed, still as red as his own clothes, praying that Kagome's family would leave him be without questions… and that Kagome could catch that little brat of a brother of hers and give him some good deserved-…

"ARGH! NO!" Souta screamed downstairs, and Inuyasha smirked satisfied.

"SEE?! I MISSED YOU SOOOO MUCH, LITTLE BROTHER!" Kagome's voice accompanied him.

A bit curious, Inuyasha exited the room with the rest of the family and went to check what was going on. Kagome was half lying on the sofa, noogying Souta who was on his back almost on top of her, his arms and legs shaking helplessly in the air. It reminded him awfully of what he usually did to Shippou when he was annoyed with him.

"It reminds me of when they were younger…" Mrs. Higurashi commented dreamily, and Inuyasha couldn't help but smirk, imagining a younger Kagome noogying her little brother until her knuckles turned red.

/\\\\\

After Kagome got tired of pestering her brother, and they had finished greeting each other, Mrs. Higurashi and Gramps went to the kitchen. Souta went to his bedroom to unpack. Kagome was about to go to her mother's bedroom to unpack for her, but Inuyasha held her shoulder to get her attention.

"Come here. Gotta give you something." He said and led her back to her bedroom. She blushed a little, but followed him anyway.

Once there, Inuyasha grabbed the bow of Mount Azusa he left on her bed, and placed it in her hands.

"Kaede asked me to give this to you. She said that this bow was destined for you, thus it will form a bound with your heart. It will clear your mind and soothe your soul as long as you have it near you. She said that it might help you fight in that 'Admission Test'."

"Thanks,…" She thanked him with a smile, and added in a whisper more to herself. "…but I don't think I'll use it anyway."

"Even if you don't, I want you to keep it near you, Kagome." He asked, turning to the window. "It might… keep your mind off of that mark."

"Inuyasha…" She was touched by his worry and kindness.

"Bye." He jumped off of the window to the dark patio. Kagome approached the window and looked outside. It was too dark to see clearly, but she saw his shadow sprinting for the well.

She smiled, hugging the bow to her chest with one arm, and with her other hand, touched her lips. Then, feeling exactly like a teenager in love, what she actually was and had forgotten, she giggled and circled around the room, falling on her back on her bed, still hugging the bow and with her hand on her lips.

Great God, how good it felt to be in love!

Inside the temple, Inuyasha was observing through an open crack on the sliding doors. Hidden in the dark, he was certain that Kagome couldn't see him. He smiled when he saw her hugging the bow and touching her lips with her hand, and before he knew it, he was doing the same with his own.

After she turned her back and he couldn't see her anymore, he also turned around and walked to the well, still touching his lips. He stopped, turned, and sat with his back against the well. His lost gaze on the roof, his fingers still to his lips, he smiled even more.

Great God, how good it felt to be in love!

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**Remember to review. :D**

**Unfortunately, chapter XXII is still in progress, so this time there will be no preview. :/**


	22. XXII Ambush

**Yay! Tomorrow is Children's Day here in Brazil! And here is my gift to all overgrown children out there! :D**

**Because deep at heart, we still wish we could get presents at this date! XD**

**Sorry for such a long time with no new episodes, everyone, but as I stated in the previous note (that I'll delete upon uploading this), my external HD trolled me. Fortunately I managed to recover all my stories, and now they are safely, or as safely as they can be, back in my computer. :)**

_[Still in need of an external HD though… *mutter**mutter*]_

**Aaaaaaanyways…**

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**Reply to Reviews on the previous note (Just to remember what I wrote in response. You can skip this part if you want.)**

Glon Morski

You have a good point there. Never thought about it. But I think that being an optimism person, Kagome would hope for her powers to return and everything going back to normal, even if it sounds almost impossible and unlikely to happen. But I shall thread carefully with your opinion in mind. Thanks you. ;)

As for Kagome about to 'lose her cool', it has more to do with Magatsuhi than her. Let's just say that her Star Miko powers and Magatsuhi don't mix well with each other, and now the poor girl is connected to both. So in a way, Magatsuhi is sort of manipulating her reactions, and her connection to her powers, even though they are sealed, are only fueling her confusion and disturbance (let's just think of it like someone drinking coke and eating mentos XD *sigh* I'm an idiot).

As for cutting our little miko some slack… Nope, unfortunately my wicked mind planed some more torture for her, as well for the rest of the party. But I promise a happy ending for our heroes. ;)

Thanks for sharing your opinion.

Adelyna

In the anime, yes, she has brown eyes. But if you check the colored pages of the manga, you can see blue eyes in some of them. Rumiko-sama was a little confusing on this matter actually. Check this out: art/Inuyasha-Curiosities-Kagome-s-eye-color-286435 093.

So in a way, it's up to the story writer's choice. I chose stormy-blue because I think it makes her more… badass, if you know what I mean. XD

Thanks for your review. ;)

Silentlightforest

Thanks! :D

FallenFan77

Thank you! And don't worry. There's a number of stories I'm absolutely insanely obsessed with and I always forget to leave a nice review… :c Thanks for joining in the party! ;)

Blackdragonhuntress

Welcome to the team. My family always think I'm crazy when I writing my stories. I'm either laughing, crying, or shouting out in anger. I do that a lot when reading too. :)

Souta is doing a good job being a little brother, don't you think? Always pissing off his big sister. XD Well, I'm in his place in my family, being the youngest of three. Now I know how my brother and sister felt like when I wanted to be around when I was 'not invited'. XD

Thanks for the compliments. These songs give me a 'boost' when writing, so I wanted to share it with you to see if the feeling is mutual. ^^

And yes, I'm planning an epilogue chapter. No, it won't differ from the original plot… much. But there's a sequel in my mind and already in progress. I'm still working on its plot, but I believe there is no plot at all. Let's wait and see, right? :)

Thanks for reviewing.

Writer 404

Why thank you! :D When I watched the Final Act, I kept imagining Kagome being more of a badass priestess that could make Naraku s**t himself in fear even more than Kikyou or anyone else did. What with the mysterious power that Rumiko-sama mentioned she had in the story and all… :P

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**Actual Reply to Reviews**

**Angel's Evil**

Thanks! I might take quite some time to answer to your reviews, but I try my best to never forget to do so. Not only because it's polite and friendly, but also because, in my opinion, it's very important to clear the cold and digital image the internet gives off. Makes it clear that it's a communication between human beings and not machines, you know? ;)

Thanks for reviewing, and hope you're liking it. ^^

**FallenFan77**

Thank you very much. ;) I've been reading a couple of very awesomely written stories around, and I've been a little disappointed with my own style. But knowing that you are liking it really means a lot to me. Thanks for leaving your opinion. :)

**Laura**

Thanks, Laura. It means a lot to me. I know it's annoying when a good story you're reading gets on hiatus, but knowing that you all understand these situations… I… I… I'm gonna cry. :')

Thanks for your review!

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**Now I present to you all….!**

**Chapter XXII – Ambush**

A few weeks had passed. Time was really a strange thing. Being so busy and so desperate with her tests, Kagome barely saw the days becoming weeks. For the others on the other side of the well though, time crawled almost to a stop. They missed Kagome greatly, and worried for Kohaku's unchanging condition. There were no reports from Sesshoumaru telling them of his progress in his hunt for Magatsuhi, which made Jaken the more annoying as time went by. Fortunately, Rin could quickly pick up on the others' annoyance with the toad-like yokai, and with only a few smart words, the green imp would shut his mouth for some time, for everyone's relief.

There were no signs of the evil spirit from the Shikon no Tama or Naraku. Things had been quite peaceful, but not any less tense.

Inuyasha kept visiting Kagome once in a while to not drive his companions crazy with his restlessness, and also to avoid the annoying green imp that somehow his half-brother was able to put up with for so long. The hanyou, however, didn't even let the girl know he was there watching whenever he visited, as just the sight of her seemed to bring him enough peace. He seemed to understand that she had been going through some very stressful days with all that studying, and decided to give her some space to work through this, though he wished there was some way that he could help.

They had agreed on ten days of her stay in the future. After the time was up, a he had come to retrieve her, the miko was not there. She was on her way to the place where she would be taking that 'fateful test' she had been having nightmares about and exhausting her brains with all the studying for.

He decided then and there that maybe he could provide her some moral support, and give her a quick reminder that her time here was due and she had to return to the past as soon as she was done. With a smile as he tracked her down, he remembered how she loved a long warm bath, a good meal and a cat nap on her own bed after being done with those tests or after a long day at school. The reasons for her being always late, and causing their childish bickering. But in the end, after a couple of 'Osuwaris' and a mouthful of dirt and grass, he decided that it was worth it to see how expressive her stormy blue eyes could be as they seemed to slightly shift their shade of color whenever she was angry. How her lips twitched, wanting to be pulled back in a snarl sometimes almost made him smile in pride. It had been the first sign that he was rubbing off on her.

After quite a mess involving a thief-demon-train, her lost bag and ID card, an Osuwari on concrete, some weird humans looking weirdly at him claiming that he was a cosplay or something, tears and a surprise hug, Inuyasha decided to let her stay a bit longer. After all, this time seemed to have enough distractions for her to forget her missing powers for a while. He could almost tell that she no longer remembered the nagging feeling of being powerless, like he felt whenever turning human on moonless nights. She deserved a break from all that stuff happening back in his time. There were no yokais here, so she wouldn't even need her powers. Kaede was right: she was safer here while her powers were gone. But that didn't mean he wouldn't keep an eye on her to make sure she was safe.

And then finally, when he thought he couldn't take it much longer, he decided to go and retrieve her. But neither of them could have imagined what a disaster it all would become. What should have been just a commemorative lunch for her success in the test, ended up in half of the house kitchen blowing up. Who on Earth would ever use a massively destructive weapon to kill a cockroach?, was what Kagome kept growling at him while he waited for her to pack her things. Sure they were hard to kill and utterly disgusting, but limits are limits, right?

"Thanks to you, we're going to spend a fortune on the kitchen's repair." Kagome sighed annoyed while the frowning hanyou pulled her out of the well. "Not to mention the excuse we have to come up with for that too."

"Keh! I already told you I'm sorry." He complained, taking her bag and holding it over his shoulder. "And Souta said they were going to say there was an explosion from the… LP gas, was it? Besides, your mother was the one exaggerating. She's more scared of a bug than you used to be scared of demons. Heck, even you fuss over a stupid bug more than you do when fighting a _demon_ bug. What is it about you women and bugs anyway?"

"That's completely different, Inuyasha!" She argued stubbornly. "Demon bugs are not the same as normal bugs!"

"How?" He arched an eyebrow at her. "Bugs are bugs. And you're another woman scared of them, demon or not."

"Just shut up, will you?" She growled and marched ahead. Inuyasha barely contained the urge to laugh. One: he won this one. Two: that growling sound she attempted to do was hilarious. And three: he just loved those angry eyes.

But the relaxed moment was broken abruptly. The wind blew by them, bringing with it a warning. Both stopped walking and stiffed.

"I smell blood." Inuyasha growled.

"Something doesn't feel right." Kagome agreed, feeling a creepy aura near the village. It was faint, but it was probably due to her sealed powers. And it felt familiar… "M-Magatsuhi…" She said with a shiver running up her spine.

"What?" Inuyasha growled in anger.

"I'm worried about the others, Inuyasha. We must go check on them." She turned to him worriedly.

"Get on." He bent down so she could climb on his back. As soon as she was secured, he leaped off towards the village. He could feel Kagome's worry through her nails digging on his shoulders. And he was certain she could feel his through his claws on her legs.

As he ran, his nose worked on the blood he could smell. A small amount smelled like Miroku's, but most of it belonged to Sango.

As they got closer, Inuyasha smelled yokais. Lots of them. And of course, the fading aura of Magatsuhi.

'_That bastard! He attacked the others while I had my guard down! I thought he was after Kagome!'_

"Inuyasha, look." Kagome pointed forward. The location of Kaede's house was nothing but a pile of broken wood planks. The roof had collapsed over the destroyed walls, breaking everything on its way. "Kaede's house... it's completely destroyed!"

"I just hope the others are ok..." Inuyasha confessed worriedly.

He stepped over the collapsed door frame and looked around. Kagome gasped and slid down his back.

"Sango-chan!" She sprinted towards a couple of planks and pushed them apart with a bit of effort, revealing the demon slayer's body lying under it. She had a deep wound on the back of her shoulder, bleeding profusely. "Sango-chan, can you hear me? Please, hang on!"

"Miroku!" Inuyasha sprinted towards the monk's body, laying behind a part of the roof that didn't collapse on top of him because a part of the wall resisted. While Kagome treated Sango's wounds, Inuyasha dragged Miroku away from the roof and towards the middle of the destroyed hut, where nothing would fall on him.

"Kohaku..." Sango murmured weakly, clenching her teeth when Kagome applied something on her wound to clean it and stop the bleeding. "You must go after Kohaku... You must stop him..."

"Miroku, what happened?" Inuyasha asked the monk, who seemed to be awake. The man took a labored breath and looked up with a hazy blue gaze at the hanyou's golden eyes. "Hang in there, Miroku!"

"I'm... I'm sorry, Inuyasha..." Miroku's voice was hoarse with weakness. "I... didn't want you... to see me... like this..."

For only one second, Inuyasha wondered what he was talking about. But then he remembered a promise he forced the monk to make. Some time ago, while Sango fought for Hirakoitsu spirit, Miroku had drunk a powerful medicine that was also a powerful poison. It would cure the pain that Naraku's miasma caused him, but at the same time, hide the limits he could take of such miasma. If he couldn't track that limit, and do something careless, he might die. And Inuyasha made him promise that he wouldn't reach such limit.

Miroku had come fatally close to breaking that promise.

"Miroku! You...!" Inuyasha grabbed the monk's robes, as if to lift him up in anger. But he parted the clothes of his chest and revealed a deep jagged scar, purple like Naraku's miasma, reaching towards his heart. He remembered that old man words, when he warned that when the scars of miasma reached his heart, the monk would perish. "You damn idiot! You broke your promise!"

Kagome looked up in confusion at the yelling, but a moan from Sango got her attention back to what she was doing. But she kept an ear trained on those two.

Miroku looked up and smiled weakly.

"No, I didn't. I promised that I wouldn't succumb to this poison, Inuyasha." He closed his clothes over his chest once again, wincing when the fabric touched the scars. "I just stepped over the limits a little bit."

"Don't you fucking fool me, Miroku." Inuyasha growled warningly.

"And besides..." Miroku ignored him and closed his eyes.

Inuyasha wanted to roar at his face for being so calm about this. Didn't he realize that he could have died right there? Didn't he realize how serious it was?

"What... what is this sound?" Kagome asked, raising her head.

Inuyasha's ears perked, the low whistle coming to his ears as well. It was like... wind... suckling...

"Houshi-sama..." Sango rose on her hands and knees, her eyes widen as she looked at his right hand. "Your Kazanna..."

Inuyasha looked down and gasped. Miroku's hand, laying on the ground, whistled with the Kazanna barely under control. Particles of dust were being sucked in the hole of his hand. It never acted like this before.

'_SHIT!' _Inuyasha clenched his fangs. _'Miroku's time is running out!'_

"Miroku-sama…" Kagome's voice quivered with fear. She also realized that their friend didn't have much time.

"Damn it, Miroku! I told you…!" Inuyasha growled, but was interrupted by the fierce look in the monk's eyes.

"We don't have time for this, Inuyasha!" The monk glared at the hanyou. "You must go after Kohaku before it's too late!"

Inuyasha glared back at the monk, growling in anger. Miroku lowered his gaze once again, completely silent in melancholy. Sango stared from Miroku's face to his hand, mortified at what was happening. Kagome held Sango's shoulders for comfort while looking at Inuyasha, waiting his decision.

"Inuyasha?" The miko called after a few moments of silence.

"Let's go, Kagome." The hanyou stood, with an angered frown on his face. "We have to stop Naraku and Magatsuhi from getting to Kohaku. The others better stay here and recover."

With one last look at his slowly dying friend, Inuyasha growled under his breath before turning around and darted away from the ruins.

The miko rapidly followed after him, somehow sensing that there was something that both Inuyasha and Miroku were hiding something from her and the others. She noticed the angry gaze the hanyou sent the monk, who looked down as if in shame. Something was up between those two.

"It's that way." He pointed the direction where mixed scent of demons and Kohaku directed him to. Lowering himself and positioning his hands at ready, Kagome readily mounted on his back for the ride. Shifting her on his back to make sure he had a secure hold on her legs, the hanyou took off at neck-breaking speed.

They left behind the damaged village to the villagers that slowly returned from their hideout in the forest, and dived fearless into the woods. The skies darkened as the evil and sick aura of Magatsuhi drew closer, the shivers running up Kagome's spine getting stronger. Her miko instincts screamed at her to turn around and avoid the evil spirit, just as strong as her best judgment telling her to stay away from fire.

In the distance, they spotted the swarm of yokais, and among them, Kohaku riding on of them like so many times before. The sight made Inuyasha growl beneath her, and Kagome knew that she had no choice. She never had. She would fight for the sake of Kohaku and her friends, not matter what.

* * *

**I swear I was planning to continue, but I couldn't find a nice enough linking part to connect both scenes. I have the terrible habit of using endings and beginnings of chapters to give the impression of time passing on the story or change of scenes and places.**

**I'm not sure if it works, what you guys think? :/**

**Next chapter is not yet ready, so unfortunately, no previews this time. :/**

**But remember to leave your critics and opinions! :D Ideas are welcomed too!**


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